A/N: Konnichi-wa, minna-san! Well, I'm back and look! The last chapter and this one aren't too far apart are they? That must be a relief for you guys, huh? And for me, too. Now you don't have to wait for my crazy updates and I'm not getting you angry. Happiness all around! Yay! So, yeah. It's chapter ten. Wow. Do you guys think that this story is a bit slow? Please tell me! That is what I'm worried about. It's chapter ten and Kagome and Inuyasha still have not made love but they've come close to it. And not much is happening or so I think... Maybe I'm being too hard on myself. I've always been highly self critical... Anyway, thanks for the support that all of you have shown me so far. It means a lot and I'm extremely grateful. You guys are the best and I love you all for it!
Explanation: "Twilight resides deep in heart, bringing salvation swiftly to those that await its presence. And the burden shall be carried on the injured wings of the innocent, who shall forever be lost in eternal slumber." One of my readers (Moon-Miko-Ashes) asked me if these words that Kagome's father had given to her inside of the locket were my own or someone else's. They are my own. They came to me in my Statistics class this one-day and I had to write them down. They were never really a part of this story in the first place, but I found that they suited my plot very well. In the end, these became essential to where my story is eventually going to end up. Thank you for the question because I am always happy to answer them. If any quotes, songs, etc. are ever used in my stories, you can be assured that I will give full credit where credit is due and not take it for my own when I have done nothing to earn its right.
Thank You: A special thanks to the following people for reviewing thus far: Forest Sentry Koneji, Ally Inu, PiperWolfBlossom, Moon-Miko-ashes, Insane-and-Psycho, Eri, Animefanatic1632, Apathy Angel, Raven657, Queen Tatooine, Danyu, marijang69, Jynx, Starr Stealer, Hand off the hanyou, a100rinchhead, Katie, MizuShoubai, Angel of Death 88, KougaDemonAddict, Lulu, Crystal, Sesshouismine, Lizz456, KatanaFox, Hanyou665, She-Demonstriss, none, short-tempered, twigy, ArtemisMoon, Hot Bitch (a.k.a. Celeste), Inuyasha-Is-My-Boyfriend, Crutches the Magic Hippie, Latinachica, Kagomeissosexy, Orlando-Inu-Lover, Hi, Annie, Tarzan, Kenshrix, Kinomoto, Dark Hanyou Lover, Shaq, InuFan4Life, AuronZs10, EarthQueen11492, LinaoftheLight, chickichicki, tomariella222, spotzplaya888, elementalobsession, Black Betty, InnocentDarkSassyCat, Dark Daimon Fate, Innocent Hope, dreamz-of-hope, azn-modern-miko, Lady Dark Angel, GohanzGirl, Schezerade7, Ria-chan, Shokora no Sakuhen, Embury, lyn, inuschopstiks, Silver Rain Drops, kawaii-arula, inu-kaglover45, Malitia, AzaraRubie, dragdr, and Alarnia. Thank you for sticking with me so far especially with my random updates and I sincerely hope that you continue to do so. Your words mean more to me than you -or I- may ever know.
"Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless." -Mother Theresa
Dedication: This fanfiction is dedicated to Ria-chan, my little sister and best friend. She proof read the first two chapters of this story and has given me the inspiration to begin my story anew. But most important of all, she believes in me, which is why I posted this fic and for that I am eternally grateful. She has been my constant anchor when my world seems like it is turning upside down and inside out. She has been there for me and listened to my complaints and I thank every star at night for leading me to her. Thank you, Ria-chan! Love you lots, sweetie!
Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah. I bet that's all you readers hear and read when you see these disclaimers. They're the same every time. Inuyasha and the characters affiliated with him do not, in any way, belong to me. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, Shogakuken, etc.
"I know it was shadow and the angle of the sun, but still it's frightening when things you love appear suddenly changed from what you have always known." -An excerpt from The Poisonwood Bible
Chapter 10: Frightened Awakenings
Kagome's heart nearly stopped when she reached one of the last paintings in the line of the wall, an audible gasp escaping her well formed lips. The color had drained from her face quickly, leaving her creamy complexion yellow. Almost sallow. Very slowly she made her way to it, her breath caught inside of her throat with no way out. Maybe she was imagining it. Maybe she really had not recovered from her wounds and she was still delirious. Her hand went out to touch the painting, judging if it was real or not. Feeling the strokes of the paintbrush and the lines of the paint and canvas. No, it couldn't be. That couldn't be-
"Dad?" she whispered softly.
Kagome shook her head from side to side, opening and closing her mouth with no sound coming from her lips. How could this be? She took a step back, then another. All of a sudden her heart was racing and thumping against her rib cage, making her breasts rise and fall quickly with each breath she took in. But Inuyasha did not notice her change of countenance, his gaze centered upon the ornate, golden and silver doors situated at the end of the room. They opened ever so slowly and beyond them was nothing but darkness, one that was welcoming in its warmth.
Kagome turned her head to say something to Inuyasha, to draw his attention to the portrait. She wanted him to see this. See her father's face in the last place she had ever expected to see him. But instead, the small man at the doorway caught her undivided attention. She was met with yet another unexpected surprise.
"It's you!" she cried out brokenly, her tone disbelieving and on the verge of hysterics. What in the world was going on!
Okinamaru chuckled deeply at her expression. Apparently she had not quite grasped all that was happening around her. He walked forward, leaning heavily on the knarled, old staff he clutched in his hands. Time had been good to him over the passing centuries but lately it was catching up with him in more ways than one. Walking had become a task in itself though he often used teleportation to meet his needs. He had no real need for walking and would have appeared in front of the girl that now stood before him. But Okinamaru feared that it would startle Kagome more than she had already been.
Inuyasha looked from Oki to Kagome and then back again. Now it was his turn to be confused and it was not a feeling that Inuyasha liked in the least bit. "You two know each other?" he asked carefully, able to conceal his puzzlement behind a neutral voice.
But Okinamaru could detect the hitch in his tone. As soon as Inuyasha had voiced the question, he knew that it had been wrong. He should have never said anything in the first place. Okinamaru was now looking at him with a mocking gaze, one that seemed to ask, and 'Is that not obvious?' Inuyasha detested when the old man looked at him that way as if he were still a puppy that needed chastising. Conceited old fool.
Before Kagome could say anything more to add to the paleness of her pallor, the short, elf-like man introduced himself. "I am Okinamaru, Lady Kagome. It is a great honor to see you once more."
Kagome could not hope to say anything even if she had wanted to. Her mind was in a frenzy, continuing to pick apart all that had happened and all that had been told to her. But nothing made sense to her. And she could not figure out why. There were far too many pieces missing and so many questions that remained unanswered. Kagome decided that she needed to begin somewhere. She turned around and pointed to the picture of the man that looked amazingly like her father but there were so many differences. This man had long, shoulder length hair that glistened with a pale blond that looked more like silver than the platinum yellow that it was supposed to be. He was far younger than she remembered her father to be, perhaps in his mid-twenties and if she thought back hard enough, Kagome was sure that she had never seen the sadness that existed in this man's eyes so distinct in her father's. His shadowed eyes had seen far too much for his years.
"That man. Who is he!" she demanded. She desired, no needed to know the answer to steady the racing of her heart.
He did not give her an answer, not like she had hoped. Instead, he drew closer to her with a sympathetic glow in his aging eyes. He understood her pain and did not wish to see it. He had seen more than his share of anguish, had hoped that even he could be spared of it so that his last days upon Madrien were filled with nothing but happiness. For the first time since meeting her, Okinamaru was now certain who this young woman was, why a looming sense of nostalgia overwhelmed him when her gaze dropped to him. He thought that he would never see the magnificent color of those blue eyes for the rest of his days.
"Come now, my dear," he consoled, taking Kagome's hand in his own. The touch immediately calmed her raging emotions and Kagome was now able to draw in a long breath of the warm air around her. Breathe... Just breathe... Okinamaru proceeded to lead her to the many large cushions that littered the floor despite the couches that had been set so elegantly around the room. The sorcerer was one that valued comfort over eloquence. "Do sit down and I will first explain to you the legend of the Maiden. You desire to know who and what the Maiden of Twilight is, do you not?"
Kagome remained quiet as she sank down onto the pillows so that the skirt of her aqua dress spread around her like shimmering cascades of water. It covered the cushion and her legs from anyone's view as she began to twist her hands in her lap in desperation for all he would reveal to her. Kagome did not care about the legend in the least and would have protested his actions if she were not held by the milky color of his eyes. They were knowledgeable and wise and she could not deny him. She could only nod dumbly at his assumption.
"Many years ago there was no need for the prophecy that I am about to tell you, but it was there just the same and yet no one knew why. In those days we had a warrior that could easily destroy any threat that opposed His Highness and Madrien. He did his duty without hesitation, without question and destroyed all that stood in his way. One could say that he was ruthless, perhaps even cold. But no one dared to complain for they were now living in peace and prosperity," Okinamaru explained slowly as if talking to a young child. But Kagome did not mind as she dropped into a world that was not her own with each word that slipped from his lips. Somehow she knew that she should know this information.
Inuyasha stood to Kagome's left, leaning against the arm of a couch with lazy abandon. He had heard the prophecy and the story many times in his life. All the people of Madrien had. It thrived in their blood and in their hearts as a constant reminder of what had been and the blood that had been shed to win them a moment of rest. He listened to the story only half-heartedly. He would truly listen only when he found out why Okinamaru was so interested in Kagome when they already had a Maiden.
Okinamaru continued, now lost in his own thoughts. As always, his eyes held the look of far off memories that should have been kept away from. Not tampered with as he was doing. "But that peace was shattered abruptly when a demon by the name of Naraku came to power in the kingdom of Falconaria. He was the one that had sent that minion to attack you in your world. A bold move by anyone's standards I should say."
Kagome shivered at that thought. Of course she remembered that day. That was the night that she had almost lost Inuyasha to death. If Okinamaru had not shown up he would have never lived to see the light of another day. Kagome dreaded that and reminded herself to thank the old man at a later time. Not now, though.
"This man... he could not defeat Naraku?" Kagome ventured when Okinamaru's pause became evident.
"No one is certain. The man I speak of disappeared shortly afterwards. He was never heard from again and that sent a jolt of alarm throughout this whole kingdom. Everyone rose up in panic and in outrage. He had abandoned his post as the protector of this land, making him an outcast and one that was banished if he chose to return. You see, they believed that he had run away," Okinamaru said, looking to Inuyasha when the half demon made a sound of anger.
Inuyasha spat, "Yes, we all believed it! That coward ran away because he wanted nothing more to do with his people. He left Madrien to fight a battle that we barely survived." There was so much bitterness in his voice that Kagome's heart ached for him. It wondered about Inuyasha's past that was clouded in a veil of mystery. What had happened to make him like that? Had he suffered a loss? Had something bit into him so deeply that he could feel such hatred toward another being?
Okinamaru said nothing in response to Inuyasha's words. The boy had a right to the emotions that swirled just below the surface of his facade. "Madrien was thrown into chaos when Naraku attacked. Many lives were lost in the battle that ensued in order to deter Naraku from what he searched for," Oki told Kagome and waited for the question that he knew she would ask.
"What did he search for?" Kagome wondered, a hand to her chin in contemplation. For the moment she had forgotten about the man in the painting. All she could focus on was the incredible story that unfolded in front of her. Kagome could hardly believe what she was hearing and at the same time it was as natural as anything she had experienced.
Okinamaru looked away for a moment to study the way that the sun's rays played across the carpet of his floor. "He desired the ancient artifact that the warrior possessed. It is said that the artifact is a scepter of old. It is a median of incredible power that bestows upon the wielder control, but the method of control remains a mystery. No one has before gained its power, save for its protector. Naraku killed many to find it and still did not succeed. Many soldiers for the king defeated him at long last but before he was destroyed, Naraku fled to a place that we have yet to find. But now he has gained in strength once more and seeks what he claims is rightly his: Madrien and the Scepter of Twilight," Oki concluded momentarily. He studied Kagome now for her reaction to his words.
She was considerably calmer than before and was processing the information quickly as he knew that she would. She was very much like the one that came before her. "Who holds the scepter now, Okinamaru?" Her voice was soft and slightly distracted from the story. Her mind had drifted back, her heart was reaching for something that was just out of her grasp. She wanted what eluded her and yet it skirted away into the depths of her heart.
"You," Okinamaru said without hesitation, "The Maiden of Twilight."
All was silent in the chamber. Inuyasha's head had snapped to the side to watch Oki with suspicious eyes and a growl to match. Now he knew the old man had lost it. Even Kagome, that had believed every word he had said earlier, was now staring at him incredulously. She did not believe him. That much the sorcerer could see and in turn he had expected as much. If she did believe him than there would have been something wrong with the theory he had in mind of what had really happened.
"Kikyo is the Maiden!" Inuyasha cried at him, a dark scowl marring his features. "You said it was so yourself, old man."
Okinamaru shook his head, though there was a look of triumph on his features that made the blood inside of Inuyasha's veins boil. "It was only suspected that she was and told to the people to ease their troubled minds. The real Maiden is seated before me in all of her glory."
"You must be mistaken," Kagome managed, laughing nervously. "I can't be the Maiden because I have never been here in Madrien before. I don't even know how I was able to come here." No, no, no! What in the world was he talking about? Kagome did not understand how everything had suddenly turned toward her and she desperately wanted the attention diverted.
Okinamaru continued to watch her, really take in the expressions forming in her eyes and on her mouth. He compared them with the earlier reactions she had had. Okinamaru had noticed something before. He had seen Kagome move farther away in her mind and if he had looked hard enough he also would have clearly seen that there was something inside of her that she wished to grasp in her hand. That small notion made him more determined.
"You may not have stepped foot on this land before now, Kagome," Oki started, shifting slightly on the cushion so that Kagome could now see the painting she had noticed earlier. "But your father had. You see, your father was born in this land. It had been his home for many years before he decided to leave his duty. Your father is Sariel, the original keeper of the scepter."
Kagome opened her mouth to say something but no words came out. They were suddenly strangled from her. The room had shrunk in size until the walls threatened to close in on her and crush her form. That painting swam in front of her eyes vividly, obscenely. So he was... That man that had abandoned his country was... her father...? Somehow all of it made a twisted sense within her now and Kagome clutched a hand to her stomach as if she was going to be sick. What had he done?
"He is the coward that left Madrien for ruin!" Inuyasha growled, feeling the anger boil within him considerably. Sariel had been the one to cost him his father's life in the war that ensued. First his father and then his mother... And Kagome was... Kagome was that vile man's offspring. She was his daughter. That hurt him most of all, even though he should know that Kagome was not like him. But somehow it did not prove to comfort him. The thought that Kagome had been conceived from that man's loins joining with another woman had his stomach churning in disgust. Inuyasha found himself pushing away from the couch's arm rest and make his away to the other side of the room. Away from her.
His actions hurt Kagome deeply, much more than she was willing to admit but she refused to show it. "My father was not a coward!" she cried at him. Her hands fisted and her nails dug deeply into her palms so that there was blood drawn from the half moon marks. How dare he say something like that! He must have had his reasons for doing what he did. She would not allow Inuyasha to insult him when he did not even know him.
"My father died because Sariel did not have the courage to stand up to Naraku like he should have!" Inuyasha exploded, his voice rising to an unnatural level. For the first time in years, Inuyasha was forced to face what he had been running from for so long: the death of his parents and the cause. It fisted his heart painfully to think about it but some part of him was glad Kagome was there because now he had someone to blame. Sariel had never been there so he could vent. "My mother was so heart broken she felt the need to follow him into the afterlife, Kagome. If it had not been for him my parents would still be alive. You did not see the way my mother suffered after his death, she was ripped in two until suicide seemed like the only answer!" All of it had come out in a rush, so fast that it left both Inuyasha and Kagome numb with the after effects.
Kagome felt the tears well up quickly behind her eyes and she was forced to shut them before she looked away. Her father could not have been the cause of that. There could be no way that he would abandon what he believed in... Could there? Right then, Kagome was not certain of anything she had an unshakable faith in the past. That faith was now floundering in all of her doubts, ones that should not have been there in the first place. She crushed them in an overwhelming show of strength that flowed when her eyes once again fell on the picture of her father.
Anger curled inside of her with a force that would have left her stunned if she had not immediately stood up to glare at Inuyasha. He returned with a passion that was equal to hers, leaving the room swirling in heated tension. Even Okinamaru did nothing to ease it. He knew that Inuyasha would come to his senses, that he did not mean to place the blame upon Kagome's shoulders. She was as innocent as he was, both of them could not have stopped what was happening even if Kagome had been born and raised in Madrien. Even if Inuyasha had known what was happening at the time. But he had suppressed his emotions for so long that they had brimmed over and had threatened to destroy him if he did not release them from their cage.
Okinamaru saw the danger of allowing them to speak any more words even before they did and hastened to come between them. It was clear now that Inuyasha had every intention of not stopping. "The story has not yet been completed, Lady Kagome. You must still hear of the prophecy and legend-"
"I don't want to hear anymore," Kagome growled in low tones, her fists clenching and unclenching by her sides in a desperate attempt. But it was not an attempt to calm herself but rather a search for the right opportunity to lash out at Inuyasha's arrogant face. He was so sure that she would sit there and take it like it had been her fault but he was in for a world of surprise.
"You cannot handle the truth. To know that your father was nothing but a coward and traitor," he hissed darkly, baring his fangs for her to see.
Kagome felt herself crack a little more as she whirled on him and was suddenly tempted to punch him in the jaw like she had done at the mall. The fire burned within the azure depths of her eyes and darkened them into the stormy skies of winter, gray wisps swirling in large streaks through the primrose ring that adorned the outer edge of her eyes. Inuyasha saw not only the anger that lurked there but also the pain and the slow dawning of something that looked so close to realization.
She turned around and marched straight through the door that Oki had come out of, not bothering to spare him any words or actions. Her slender body was illuminated momentarily by the bright sunlight streaming through the windows but the darkness quickly robbed her of that and consumed her form in its shadowy depth.
Okinamaru made no move to stop her for he knew why she had chosen to go that particular way instead of leaving the castle all together. What his chambers held called to her in a voice that she could not possible resist and it would give her and Inuyasha time to calm themselves.
Come to me.
The voice echoed in Kagome's mind with a heavenly tone that was too sweet to resist. It called to her, beckoned, pleaded, and seduced. What could be done but listen to whoever called to her? Kagome could not resist the temptation as she traveled down the long corridor, unable to see the pathway spread out before her. All around her was the consuming darkness that was impenetrable by any of the light that was steadily fading away behind her. Yet, she felt no fear for her life, only the rapture of that strong voice.
How anyone bothered to see in this place was beyond her. Kagome could not see the hand that she placed in front of her face but she kept on blindly. Reaching out a hand, Kagome pressed it to the wall for reassurance and, as she walked, trailed her hand over the glassy smoothness as an anchor to keep her there in that place so that the darkness did not take her. She needed that solidity to keep her sane.
Kagome did not know how much time had passed but she had long given up on keeping track of it. There had been no sounds to keep her company, not even the hum of her own breathing. The darkness around her seemed to swallow all of it up and consume her. So, naturally she was grateful to see the glimmering and shifting of a crystalline blue light at the end of her path. Kagome increased her pace until it appeared as a frantic run, nearing the end of her small journey. It was all she could not to cry out in relief when she came upon a chamber that was made up of as much magic as the liquid within it.
The walls were like gialites, sparkling with a deep purple and silver sprinkle. It reflected in the water like stars in the vast expanse of the world outside when there was someone to behold their beauty. As Kagome stepped in, the walls seemed only to grow more brilliant, their light dancing more fluidly for her as to draw her in. Half the room was taken up by the shimmering pool surrounded lightly by rose petals of every color imaginable, different from the usual colors. The most striking was the black rose petals and their tips that were dipped in luscious silver. Their mere sight took Kagome's breath from her as she gazed upon the unending beauty of it all. The silver tips of the flower petals mirrored that of the liquid inside of the pool. Inside rushed not water but a liquid that seemed to be spun of moonlight and crystals. It sparkled and danced as each droplet mingled with another, a silver and pearl decadence that Kagome felt she had to touch.
Come to me.
She could do no more than answer those three little words as they wrapped around her heart. It seemed to be coming from the middle of the pool itself and Kagome's legs moved of their own accord. She stepped into the molten moonlight and began a steady walk forward. All the while she was unsure of what she was doing; all she knew was that it was utterly important that she reach that voice. The strange liquid inside of the pool became deeper until it reached the middle of her thighs. Behind her, it had instantly stilled and began to swirl around the edges and spread inward, rippling the silvery water and smoothing it out until almost all of it was as glass. A perfect reflection of the ceiling was mirrored there and so was Kagome's reflection as she stared behind her to study the phenomenon. It was beautiful but there was something about it that was not entirely right.
The water had not become glass around Kagome's body and the silver gently swirled in delicate and beautiful vine-like patterns up her thighs and hips, hardening into a diamond like consistency. It covered all of her lower torso so that she was unable to move her legs, unable to free them from their confinement. She did not notice the tiny pinpricks that the glass created in her skin, but rather was more afraid of the solidity. When Kagome tried to pull away and return the way she came, she was unable as the glass in the pool shimmered. She was trapped! Fear exploded inside of her, swift and solid as the glass that had settled over the water. There was something moving beneath the surface that caught her immediate attention and Kagome had to lean in closer so that she was able to see it better. Her ebony tresses slipped past her shoulder and tumbled onto the glass in a mass of midnight's splendor.
There was a feeling of free falling as Kagome was swept into the pool's surface and floated in an aurora of colors and patterns that looked like the Northern Lights she had heard so much about. She had never actually seen them but seeing the background around her, Kagome was now certain this was what they looked like. Suddenly she began to hurdle downward at an incredible speed. She shut her eyes awaiting the sudden impact at the end, thinking that this was how her life was going to end. What in the world had she gotten herself into?
All Kagome felt was the soft lap of water against her chest as she landed in the middle of a river. She gazed around her, confused. On one bank there were beautiful meadows and shining skies, but on the other all Kagome could see was an illuminated white path of crystal that traveled for as long as her eyes could see. Something in her heart told her she had to choose one. Looking from one to the other, Kagome made her decision. She carefully picked her way over the rocks toward the plush fields of flowers. If she could only get there then all her worries would be over. Maybe she would be carried back to Okinamaru and Inuyasha and maybe it would take her back to Earth, back to her family. Kagome prayed with all of her might that it would. The other path looked to be a journey of some kind and not one that Kagome was willing to make.
A familiar laugh erupted from behind her. It swelled around Kagome's fluttering heart, wrapped itself onto every emotional fiber in her being. It was almost cruel how that simple sound could render her still and quiet. How it caused the tears to flow without effort. "Cotichka, my winged love, where in the world do you think you're going?"
She stopped in midstep, turning painstakingly slow to look at her father's glowing face. But he was different from the man she knew. He was dressed like Inuyasha, velvet coat and lace at the sleeves. The sun beating down upon him illuminated the paleness of his blond hair- shoulder length and curling at the tips- until it turned a radiant silver. It was not golden like she had remembered it being when he was alive and whole beside her. When she had lived in an unshakable paradise that would have lasted forever in her heart. She blinked once to see if he would disappear with the taunting breeze, fleeting and always mocking her with its unattainability. Kagome blinked twice just because she did not trust her eyesight. But as she stared longer, Kagome realized that he was there to stay. She hesitantly placed a foot forward.
"Daddy?" she breathed tearfully. Never in her wildest fantasies had she ever thought that she would see him again.
He stood before her now as solid as if he were alive once again and just at the moment he held his arms out to her, Kagome ran like a little girl into them. She did not care how old she was then, she had to hold him and feel him and feel protected by him. Two arms swept Kagome up around the waist to twirl her in a small circle and then she was pulled against her father's body, held very close to his heart. With a small tear running down her cheek she buried her heart shaped face into the front of his shirt. He was so warm; just like when he was alive he made her feel safe. Made her feel like nothing in the world could harm her.
"My Kagome, look how you have grown. So much like your mother," Sariel whispered in her ear. "And I would think that Souta looks like you as well, except he carries your mother's eyes." Sariel knew of his son, he had been watching over his family since his death and had seen the tragic way that they had grown apart. He kissed her temple and forehead repeatedly as if to make up for all of the years he had been away. That sudden thought pained him greatly. All those years... How terrible it sounded even in his mind and he could not imagine saying it out loud.
"I missed you, Dad," Kagome sobbed quietly, her voice slightly muffled in the fabric of his jacket. But as the words tumbled from her mouth she realized that they were inadequate. Missed him? She had more than "missed" him! Every day after his death Kagome had craved, desired for him to come back to her. She had even tried to convince herself that the accident had never happened. But it only brought the grief more violently to her soul and tore it to shreds.
Sariel felt the trickle of tears as they welled up behind his eyes, creating a raw ache in his throat and gut. He tried to swallow the lump that had somehow lodged itself inside of his throat but only managed to make it larger. Her voice sounded so broken, so tired. Tired of all of the pain and the confusion he knew she was feeling right then. Holding her in his arms, Sariel could sense the remains of what had been a beautiful soul that should have never dealt with the kind of pain she had. Kagome's father could never hope to repair the damage his death had done.
"I know. I know you have because I have missed you as well. You have hurt so much, but not just from my death." Kagome flinched when he said it so starkly and without embellishment. It was strange to hear it come from his lips. Sariel's arms tightened around her form in a sign of reassurance. He continued to speak to her in a soft tone that was unearthly in its beauty as she had always remembered it to be. "I wish I could have remained with you and your mother, to see you mature into the beautiful young woman I see before me, to save you from the explanations that Okinamaru has been giving to you."
Kagome stiffened in his arms at the sorcerer's name and drew back enough to stare up at him, wide eyed. "Then it's true, Dad? You really...?" Her world had all of a sudden come crashing down at her feet when he nodded his head solemnly. Everything she knew, everything she had ever believed in was now bathed in the light of uncertainty. Kagome was left vulnerable in the face of all of her emotions and that thought frightened her almost beyond end.
Sariel sighed audibly, turning his eyes toward the coming horizon where the sun neither rose nor set. "My name is, indeed, Sariel. I was the chosen one, the strongest of our race, to guard and protect Madrien," he explained gently. He had been hoping that there was another way to reveal all of this to her. He had hoped never to have to tell her these things so that she may be able to live a normal life.
"Why?" Kagome whispered as she pulled out of his arms. Very slowly, she sat down upon the pillowy grass and drew her knees up to her chest. She wrapped her slender, toned arms around herself, placed her chin on her knees, and wondered. Wondered about the man that stood before her. Who was he really? "Why did you leave Madrien? Why, when they needed you the most, did you... abandon them?"
He knew that. Sariel knew that this question would come up if he were ever to see his daughter again. For long minutes, he merely stared at her, long and hard. Seeing the ebony hair, the eloquent face that betrayed all of the emotions that she felt, the azure eyes that she had inherited from him. Sariel joined his daughter on the ground, his hands coming to pull the long reeds of grass from their roots one at a time. It had always been a nervous habit of his when the spotlight was turned upon him.
"A pure soul such as yourself would never understand, cotichka. You, who has never seen bloodshed, never seen someone die in front of you," Sariel murmured, his tone becoming more and more shattered with each word that fell from his well-sculpted lips. And suddenly his whole life in Madrien was laid out before him, so that only he could recall the horrible things he had done. The murders, the innumerable masses that had been slaughtered because his powers were in need by King Laramos.
Kagome frowned in confusion and disbelief. It was clear to Sariel that she did not believe the words in the least. She still saw him as the father she knew for the first eight years of her life. To her he still remained the man that had taken her to amusement parks, carried her on his shoulders so she felt like the whole world was at her fingertips. Kagome did not know how how close that feeling she had had was to the truth. To his eldest child, he was her father and in her eyes he could do no wrong. As much as that warmed his heart to know, Sariel could not push away the feeling of guilt he had carried for so long.
If what he said was true, then Inuyasha's father and mother... They had really died because of her father's cowardice? Kagome's head reeled with that possibility, so much so that she felt the stirrings of a headache begin. And because of it, she tried desperately to keep the conviction from her eyes for she did not want to condemn her father before she had a chance to hear what he had to say.
When Kagome did not speak, Sariel continued on with his version of the explanation. It was hard though. Sariel had never revealed his soul to anyone before, had not dared in fear that his weakness would be exposed to his enemies, as well as the weaknesses of his people. He could not have taken such a risk. But for Kagome he would. Sariel could never hope to deny her anything that would ease the torment that was ripping through her. "Even now, Kagome. Even now I am able to see the dark crimson of the blood stain my hands, drip to the floor. I am able to recollect the screams of the world of Madrien when her face was soaked with the blood of so many. Before, I had no trouble controlling my emotions. I was young and eager to serve my land and king. What was I to do? But as I became older, the weight of all I had done burdened me," he confessed gravely. "I could not escape the constant demands of the king and of my people to do my duty."
"So you went to Earth?" Kagome supplied gently, beginning to understand what had drove her father to leave Madrien. The tears were dripping down her cheeks with no hope of Kagome stopping them. But, then again, she refused to. Her heart ached for her father and for what he had to go through. She could see his memories before her eyes and their sight stabbed at her heart even more. There had been no one to shed tears for him in his time of need and even now there was no one that was willing to understand the reasons. She had to cry for him because no one else would.
Sariel nodded in a solemn manner but for the first time since beginning their conversation, Kagome could see a genuine light brighten the depths of her father's eyes. "Yes, I made Earth my refuge after I escaped Madrien and I began life from the very beginning once again. I went to the States first to study languages and meet new people that I had only dreamed of. I cut my hair and dawned new clothing. But there was something always missing from those years," Sariel recalled wistfully. He was looking up at the sky as if that held all of his precious memories. "I moved to Japan to see the beauty of the cherry tree blossoms in the spring and that was where I first saw your mother Hitomi. By the stars, she was the most radiant human I had ever seen and I made her mine. I thought my life was complete... But then you were born, Kagome. And I finally believed that there was forgiveness for me. Why else would the Gods bless me so?"
The tears were coming in great numbers now, caressing the delicate arch of Kagome's throat as they sped past and disappeared into her dress. There was pain in her father's voice that he tried to hide behind his happy expression. Kagome, however, could see right through it. Those were the happiest moments of his life, Sariel had no need to tell her that because Kagome could see it in his eyes and the wonderful way in which he stared at her. He was drinking her in, memorizing the features of her face; he did not have much time with her and he wanted to preserve this moment.
"You never told her," Kagome whispered, referring to her mother. "You never told me!" The tone of her pristine voice rose a notch higher and to her horror it came off as betrayal. She could not help it. She had to say it for after all of this, what could she say? He did not tell her that her life was a lie! Was that really how it was?
Sariel was silent as he seemed to absorb her words. In truth, he could not blame her for saying such a thing. His azure eyes met hers, both of their colors so alike and yet so different at the same time. "Would you have believed me?" Her father was not annoyed with what she had cried, he never seemed to be. His voice held seriousness and humor, a sharp contrast. A familiar contrast.
A simple question in return to another question that was equally as simple. Kagome opened her mouth to speak but shut it swiftly. She shook her head in all honesty. Thinking back she wouldn't have believed such a tale, especially when her father had told her such wonderful stories of ancient kings and heroic warriors. He had been amusing and funny, someone that she could turn to when she needed a warm embrace. Kagome looked down at the hands that she clenched in her lap. She had not noticed that her fingernails were digging into the soft flesh of her palms and she eased the pressure, studying the half moon marks that appeared there.
"But it still hurts, Dad," Kagome told him. It was somewhere between a plea and an understanding. It caught Sariel's attention so that he was staring at her in awe. Had she just...? Kagome was suddenly on her knees and threw her body into his arms so that her own arms were clasping his neck gently but firmly. The ebony tresses that were tumbled down her back now framed Sariel's shoulders much like her arms did, encasing them in their own little world. Her lithe body shook with the force of her small sobs and Sariel had to return the gesture with all of his might as if that would be able to stop her suffering. And he hoped that it did.
"I wanted to protect you, Kagome. I did not want you to enter into a world that you could never belong in for I did not want you to shoulder the same burden I did," he pleaded, trying to make her understand why he had done what he did. It meant more to him than anything now. He couldn't leave her knowing that she held resentment for him because of it. "It nearly destroyed me, cotichka and I could not allow the same thing to happen to you, could not allow you to become the Maiden of Twilight." Please understand...
Kagome heard that small thought even though it as not her own. She felt it inside of her like nothing else. She buried her face deeper into the place where her father's shoulder and neck met and drew in some breaths. She had been certain that it would help calm her weeping but in the end it did not. It only proved to make the tears flow faster. "It's all right. I understand, Daddy," she whispered complacently, sadly. Beautifully.
Those simple words burst within Sariel's mind and heart so that a great burden seemed to be lifted from his chest. It was easier to breathe now. And it was easier to carry the sins he had committed. Everything was so much clearer now and cleaner, definitely cleaner. He felt like a new man as he allowed the tears that he had held in for so long to leak out, uncaring. They traced his smooth cheeks and disappeared within the waves of Kagome's shining tresses. He buried his face within her hair to hide the blackness of his soul for he was truly unworthy.
Kagome had no idea how much those words had meant to him right then. She did not have to say that she understood what he had gone through, that she did not blame him but she had. Kagome had told him that it was all right and that made the burden he carried all the more lighter. She was his daughter, she could have easily condemned him for what he had done. For the fact that he had left this upon her shoulders but she did not. And that brightened his mere existence more than he ever thought possible.
"Kagome. I love you more than anything, my sweet daughter. My Kagome," he whispered over and over. He needed her to hear those words, to know what she had done for him since the day that she had been born. What she was doing for him now.
The hold that Kagome had on him tightened lovingly as she heard what he was saying. So many years... So many years to have to live without those words and now it did not matter because she had them. Her wish had come true. Kagome's heart was brimming with an immeasurable happiness and if she experienced anymore she was certain that it would burst. Not that she'd mind.
Sariel pulled back reluctantly, brushing away the tearstains on her cheeks. He pressed a kiss to Kagome's forehead and lingered there for a moment longer. He wanted to savor the feeling of being a father once again and had a sudden wish to do the same with his son Souta. But he never could. It brought an anguish-filled dimming to the rekindled light in his eyes that he could not hide from Kagome as she turned her eyes upward. She could read what was in his eyes and leaned forward so that his shoulder pillowed her ebony head, giving him comfort in the only way that she knew how.
They remained that way, neither moving. But the world around them was beginning to darken with the bold colors of sunset. Sariel, as if hearing a voice, looked up at the slowly shifting sky and his face fell at what it meant. He helped Kagome to her feet with a heavy heart and mind. It was time for her to leave this place and return to Madrien. If only he had a way for her to stay... Sariel knew very well that Kagome did not belong in this world where he was now living. He wanted her to live.
She pulled back, wiping at her teary eyes. Kagome only managed to smear it over a larger part of her cheek and she let out a weak laugh, knowing that she must have looked like quite a sight. Her father smiled at her, feeling the joy course through him. Sariel only regretted not being there for her at the times when she had needed him the most. With an urgency that Kagome felt like the piercing of an arrow through her heart, he showed her to the crystal path where she would make her way back to the world of the living. She was to follow it all the way to the end where a door would take her back. Before starting on her journey, Kagome embraced him one last time, which helped her let go of her grief. Her footsteps echoed off of the crystal beneath her, creating a melodious sound of church bells. But as she walked, a question came to her mind that she had always wanted to ask him suddenly crossed her mind.
"Why did you die that way? In the accident?" Kagome wondered, looking over her shoulder at him. If he was strongest of anyone why did that mere crash kill him as if he were a mortal? Even before all of this Kagome had never believed that it was an "accident," as everyone so delicately put it. Some key part of it was missing.
"It was not what it seemed, Kagome," Sariel answered her mysteriously.
Before Kagome had the chance to press the matter, he was gone. Just like that. His body had faded from view but his smile remained in the land around him. That brought a soft grin to Kagome's lips as she turned her head to continue on down the road. She stored his words carefully away in her mind to think over at a later time. But what plagued her right then consumed her thoughts entirely. She was the Maiden of Twilight. It fell on her to see that Madrien was safe and secure once more from whoever threatened it. But could she do it? Would she be able to face this destiny of hers and be what she was born to? She did not know. Kagome, for the life of her, did not know. But the one thing she was certain of was that she might never be ready to take on the responsibility. For now, that had to be good enough.
Kagome reached the giant doors at the end of her journey. She drew in a deep breath and bid her father a final farewell. Her hands grasped the cold metal of the knobs, turning them until the overbearing doors clicked open. A bright light enveloped her body and slowly she floated up through the liquid, surfacing with a gasp.
The chamber's walls winked at her subtly now, knowing the ordeal that she had just been put through. Kagome's eye blinked rapidly and her form shivered, but it was not because of the silver water that slipped past her form and brushed along her fingers. She was becoming used to reality once again as her eyes took in all that was around her. It seemed like she had never left the pool but she was sure that she had been with her father... Her father Sariel... Tears came unbidden and Kagome inhaled deeply to drive them away.
Kagome walked out of the pool the same way she had walked in and was not surprised to find that she was not wet. Her aqua dress held not a single drop of water. Strange. But not as strange as what had just happened. Kagome wrapped her arms around herself to rub away the numb feeling that had settled inside of her. She knew what she had to do.
"I am merely saying that you must not judge someone based upon the mistakes that their parents or ancestors made. That is all," Okinamaru reasoned as he watched Inuyasha pace back and forth. It had been hours since Kagome had left and the fact that she was not in his presence agitated Inuyasha. He did not know why and because of that he was even more annoyed. What was it about her that had worked its way underneath his skin?
Oki shook his head in complete exasperation. He was just like his father: stubborn and vindictive at times. Like father, like son he supposed. The ancient sorcerer looked up at the sky outside one of the many windows and quieted so that he was able to think. True, Kagome had been gone for what was hours; the sun had set and darkness was sneaking its fingers over the world.. Even he was beginning to worry about the girl. He had no doubt to her whereabouts, allowing her to go in the direction that she was called. He just wished that it would not take so long.
"If Sariel had not left in the first place," Inuyasha began roughly as he stopped to face Okinamaru.
The old man smiled at him in a way that said he knew what Inuyasha was going to say. He did not agree with it, however. "If Sariel had stayed then your father would have gone into battle no matter what," Okinamaru finished, all knowing and certain of what he said. "You know it as well as I do. And so did your mother."
Inuyasha fell silent. As hard as he tried to deny it, he knew that the old man was right. His father craved battle, the thrill of the fight just as he did. His arms fell to his sides limply and he settled upon the couch heavily. All of this was bringing painful memories to the surface that he had not faced in years. He had always escaped from them or pushed them to the back of his mind because he thought that it was the best way to rid himself of them. Kagome was not to blame... But he wanted to blame her. He desired to blame someone for all of the pain that his parents' deaths had caused his family.
"Okinamaru," Kagome whispered. Her appearance was so unexpected that both of them men turned to face her in disbelief. Okinamaru knew that she would return eventually, but Inuyasha had had his doubts. But she stood before him looking far older than when she had left and it was then that Inuyasha noticed that she had indeed changed from when he left her in her world. She had matured, but he knew that being with Shardul had done that to her. Seven days spent here in Madrien could do that to anyone.
"Lady Kagome," Okinamaru acknowledged, nodding his head at her. "I see you have found the Pool of Nesskrad. Few can resist its silent song for very long. It looks like you are not one of those few." He hobbled away from the window and the twinkling world outside so that he stood before her regally. "Did you find the answers that you seek?"
Silence lapsed between them for long moments as Kagome pieced together what she would say. She wanted to tell him all that had happened there, that they had wrongfully accused Sariel for what he did. That they could not possibly understand. Even she did not understand fully because she had never killed anyone before but had come close to it. Naraku's minion... She had almost succeeded in destroying him and the thought brought even more shivers up her spine. She could not shake that feeling, the sick and twisted rapture she had felt knowing that his life rested in her hands.
"I accept," she announced strongly. "I will be the Maiden of Twilight."
Okinamaru beamed and Inuyasha nearly choked. She would what! He had been so sure that she would run away from this like her father had done before her. But she was perfectly serious. She would accept her destiny because she had to. There was no way that she would abandon this world to Naraku, not after what she had seen his minion do to Inuyasha. Naraku, therefore, had to be far worse and far more sinister. She had decided on her way back to this room that she would not back down.
"But Kagome-" Inuyasha protested but she paid him no mind.
The old sorcerer was beckoning her to the cushions and she followed him obediently. There were small vines of anxiety seeping into her body the longer she thought about this. Kagome was not certain that she would be able to do this task, to be the one to save Madrien from evil. Kagome sat down carefully, afraid of what would come next even though Okinamaru was perfectly at ease. It looked as if he had been waiting for this all of his life and she thought that had to be impossible.
"What do I have to do?" Kagome asked in a hushed whisper. She was shifting nervously around which only caused Okinamaru to widen the grin on his face.
"Nothing," he said simply and pressed the fingers on both of his hands to the fragile skin on Kagome's temples.
Instantly, Kagome's mind was flooded with thousands of voices. Screams, cries, and pleadings; all weresorrowful and filled her heart with their agony so that she felt it as if it were her own feelings. Each mixed together to create a melancholic choir, a myriad of pain and disillusionment that tore at her mind. Deep inside of her, she felt a presence, a feeling that something or someone was within her mind. Okinamaru. There was a sudden pain in her back. It was like a knife was trying to escape her body by pushing its way out.
Kagome jerked away from his hold and fell onto her hands, unable to hold herself upright any longer. There was too much pain and Kagome was forced to dig her fingernails into the pillow to keep from drawing blood from her palms. Agony dappled in front of her eyes in the form of black spots that clouded her vision so she was forced to squeeze them shut. The sweat broke out on her forehead, Kagome throwing her pain outwards in the form of a heart-wrenching scream that made Inuyasha's blood run cold. He rushed to her side and placed both of his hands on Kagome's shoulders but she only pushed him away from her.
He watched in horror as something bulged from beneath the fabric of her dress, making its way out of her back. He glowered at Oki, bidding him to stop what ever was causing her pain. He had seen bloodshed and slaughters but Inuyasha could not handle seeing Kagome in this much torment. He wanted it to stop. The pain was so excruciating that Kagome thought it would never cease, it felt like she was dying. A slow and agonizing death that would not show her mercy.
Kagome's body jerked, deep inside of her mind and body she heard a rustle of what sounded like feathers and swiftly, the pain she was experiencing reached its climax. It burst in front of Kagome's eyes in black swirls and the skin of her back parted so that three pairs of pristine wings exploded from her back to carpet the floor in their brilliance. Long and elegant they lay there while Inuyasha looked on in complete and utter confusion, while Okinamaru looked on in triumph, and while Kagome tried to calm the throbbing of her body.
It pulsed in time to her heartbeat and all around her there was silence. Her breath was coming out in haggard puffs. There was air all around her but she could seem to draw enough of it into her to sate her lungs' desire for it. When Kagome managed to compose herself enough, she dared a glance behind her to see the six wings she had acquired. They were all differed slightly in length and shimmer, but equally beautiful despite the fact that they were somewhat covered in her blood. Cautiously she reached a finger behind her to stroke a delicate feather in awe-struck wonder. It was velvety and light to the touch, so soft and glowing with the crackling of the fire. She needed to assure herself that they were, in fact, real.
Inuyasha stepped forward to clasp both of her arms gently so that he was able to help Kagome to her feet. Just as he had expected, she swayed precariously from side to side as if she had been heavily drugged and he feared that if he were to let her go she would collapse. She did not fight his touch as she might have under different circumstances. Whether Kagome liked it or not, she had to have Inuyasha's help because her body was protesting any movement that she was attempting to make. Even standing up was a chore within itself. Not caring what he might think, Kagome leaned against Inuyasha's strong chest and closed her eyes. Exhaustion crept into her body quickly, rendering every one of her limbs useless. It seemed the pain in her body would never go away.
Inuyasha swept Kagome's slender body into his arms as if she were no more than a child and walked to the couches. He was careful not to step on the wings that were now trailing across the floor, sitting down so that he sank into the cushions. All of a sudden he was tired as well. This had been taxing on his mind. First, Sariel was Kagome's father, then she had disappeared for hours, and now she was the Maiden of Twilight. What next? Only Okinamaru did not seemed to be phased by this as he also took the liberty of joining the half-demon on the couch.
He spoke to Kagome in an amused voice. "I would assume that now you will want an explanation, am I correct?"
Kagome, whose eyes had been closed so that she might drift off into sleep, peeled back one heavy eyelid and looked at him without expression. "I think I've had enough explanations for one day," she whispered hoarsely. Even her throat had gone dry with the exhaustion. She snuggled closer to Inuyasha, her ear over his beating heart, and it caused the arms that held her to tighten protectively. Inuyasha glanced down at her and felt a rush of sympathy. She had gone through so much already...
Okinamaru chuckled deep in his throat. "I do not think so, my dear. There is still a part that you are missing. You see, you are the last of your race."
A/N: You know, this chapter was not so hard to write. Most of it was just explaining the prophecy and the history and what not. I hope I did a good job with that. But if any of you have any questions whatsoever please feel free to ask me in your review. If you leave me an email address I can personally send you a letter explaining and answering the question. But if not, I will post your question and the answer to it in my next chapter. But if you are new to my story and are not registered on could you please leave an email address anyway? I'd really like to send you an email thanking you for taking the time to read and review my story. It means a lot to me. The reason it took me so long to post was because I couldn't get to the library at all... Not having the Internet kind of sucks, you know? I apologize for ending on a cliffy but if I were to go on with explanations it would take a while to do. But don't worry, I have a different way of setting up the remaining history of Kagome and her father and that will appear in my next chapter. I think that is all I want to say... Hhhmmmm... Yes, that is pretty much it. Thank you all very much and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review now if it's not too much trouble via the tempting purple button at the bottom of your screen. Doesn't it just seem to call out to you:wistful eyes:
Translation:
Cotichka - (Co-teach-ka)- ''winged love'' in a language that I made up:smiles proudly: I'll explain this in the next chapter, if any of you are wondering that is.