Chapter 10 –

Kagome –

"Mom?" Kagome looked at her mother playing with Shippou instead of planning the party, as they were supposed to. Lily looked up at her daughter with a big smile and gestured Kagome to come and sit next to her

"I have a feeling of what you are about to ask, and there is no way delicate to say it so I will just say it" her mother's smile vanished and she became serious

"Shippou, you keep drawing while I have a talk with Kagome okay?" Lily asked gently. Shippou smiled big and continued to draw his masterpiece. Lily took Kagome's hands and walked with her around the garden

"I must admit that it is my fault" Lily started, much to Kagome's surprise. What in the world, could her mother have done to make her father THAT cold towards her? However, she kept her mouth shut, seeing that Lily had a hard time explaining Takashi's behavior

"Your father found out about a secret that I had kept for myself for centuries. Not because I wanted to keep it a secret from him, but because it hurt too much to tell him, especially when it involves his own father…" Lily seemed to have a hard time telling this secret, and the more Kagome heard, the less she was beginning to want to know

"If it is too difficult, then don't tell me mother…" Kagome started, but was stopped by a hand gesture from Lily

"No, it is time that you hear it to, especially with how your father is treating you and how he seems to refuse to believe me…" Kagome looked at her mother, wondering what secret could make her own father despise her so.

Lily sat down on a wooden bench, pulling Kagome down with her, still with Kagome's hand firmly in hers, as if she was trying to pull strength from her daughter

"For you to understand the situation I believe that I have to tell everything that has happened since your departure…" Lily began, but she kept on a sorrowful appearance, which Kagome hated so much. What in the world could have happened to have made her mother so sad?

"Just a few days after you left, I had adopted one of your father's sister's daughters, Ailee. She looked so much like you, so I hoped it would help keeping your departure a secret for your own safety, but who would have known that Naraku knew that we had stolen the jewel?" her mother sighed and shook her head, as if still in disbelief that the half-breed had found out such information that had been kept secret from all but Takashi, Lily, Kagome and a general of the household

"Naraku's puppet in a baboon cloak came with a gift and a message…" Lily was starting to shake like a leaf, and Kagome gave her mother's hand a squeeze in comfort, silently showing her that she could proceed without fear. Lily gave her a smile in gratitude

"The puppet told your father, that in exchange for the gift, an alliance should be made between the two, ensuring the kingdom's safety for when he would start to take over the remaining lands, and that we would join in on the spoils of what would be left. All Takashi needed to do in return for the protection and power, was absolute loyalty which he wanted to obtain through a marriage alliance with you, and of course the jewel" Kagome snorted, already knowing what answer her father had given

"Of course, you father refused, telling Naraku it was not only impossible but also how could he trust the half-breed?" Again, her mother shook her head, but this time she sobbed, being on the verge of crying

"Naraku only laughed up in Takashi's face, saying that he would soon enough come to trust him, since Takashi would through the diary discover that he was the only one willing to tell him the truth… Then he left with those cryptic words, and said he would be waiting for an answer, but that he shouldn't take too long, otherwise the price would be high…" Kagome looked at her mother in anticipation, knowing she was about to tell the secret, that pained her mother so much, but Kagome couldn't help the scowl on her face, thinking of what kind of mind-trick Naraku had been up to, and she suspected he was the cause for her father's coldness

"Even though your father tried to ignore Naraku's words, he could not contain himself and ended up reading the diary. It was his father's, your grandfather's dairy, and in it, he had written about a horrible event that involved me…" her mother sobbed, but looked at Kagome with tears in her eyes, cupping Kagome's face, seemingly wanting to see her reaction to what would now be said

"In it, it told of the time when your grandfather raped me, while Takashi was on patrol, but for some reason it stated that Lord Tashio of the West had been there to, helping and joining your grandfather…" now Lily wept loud and broken. Kagome looked at her in disbelief

"No way, not grandfather! Not Lord Tashio!" Kagome quickly embraced her mother in her strong hug, wanting to hug all of her sorrow away. Kagome herself had a hard time keeping off the feeling of disgust she was starting to feel towards her grandfather. Lily looked up at Kagome, begging

"But please believe me when I say that Lord Tashio was not involved! I do not know why such things would be written in your grandfather's diary, I promise, he wasn't!" Kagome hugged her mother again, firmly

"I believe you" she whispered in a soothing voice. No, Lord Tashio would never in a million years do something like that, but if her father believed it to be true, then that would explain his cold attitude towards Sesshoumaru, but Kagome had a nagging feeling

"Are you sure it is grandfather's diary and that it isn't a forgery?" Lily pulled out from Kagome's hug and looked at her devastated

"You father believed that too, and send for many different scholars and experts on the field, but it was confirmed, the diary was your grandfathers" Kagome wondered… She still could not shake off the feeling that something fishy was at play

"Some days later, Ailee and the household general was found dead and with a message from Naraku. He was furious that we had hidden you and the jewel, deceiving him into believe that he could get the jewel, which we by the way, never gave him a reason to believe, but he promised retribution when he had grown in power… Fortunately we heard nothing from him, and now he is dead…" Kagome nodded, but still felt uneasy

"But that does not explain father's cold attitude towards me…" Kagome said, a bit uneasy as to what the reason could be. Lily sniffed, and tried to wipe her tears away, but again they kept falling

"Some weeks ago, Lord Tashio's bastard son, Inu-Yasha, I believe the name was, came to visit, claiming he had an urgent message for your father…" Kagome looked at her surprised. How did Inu-Yasha think to come here of all places? He knew nothing of her true identity, so why would he have come here?

"I do not know what they talked about, but after the visit, your father requested my presence, which in itself seemed odd, since he always came to me when he wanted something, but that day he was… furious like I have never seen him before… he…" Lily inhaled and exhaled, clearly having a hard time

"… he accused me of birthing his father's child, that I had hidden the truth, in order for the child to survive his wrath if he had known… I do not know why he would have ever thought that… I tried to reason with him… explaining that the rape had happened years before you were born, but he did not believe me at all… He was furious at me, but some days later, that fury was turned towards you. The bare mention of you would make him go into a frenzy. I have never seen him like that before, and he has been behaving out of character since…"

Kagome began to see the pieces of a puzzle fit together. It could only mean one thing… and how she wanted so much for it not to be true… Naraku's hold over Inu-Yasha had not vanished with Naraku's death… Instead, it appeared that he somehow lived on in Inu-Yasha, and was planning his revenge on them all, Sesshoumaru included. Ohh… what she would not give for dna-testing… It could have proven her mother's love and loyalty towards her father, but the question was… would her father had believed the tests result? It would not come as a surprise if ´Inu- Raku´ had somehow tampered or in some way infected her father with something, making him act as he now did. Moreover, the diary, which was the root of her father's mistrust, needed to be more thoroughly investigated. Knowing Naraku with his deceptions, he could have somehow manipulated the diary. Of that, she was certain… However, in order to reveal Naraku's ploy, she would need help, and she knew just where to start, and who could help. She begged the Kami in her thoughts, while hugging her devastated mother, that it was not too late to save her family from ruin and evil plans.

Author's note:

So, another chapter out. Thx so much for the reviews! 3 Even though this story has been completed in handwriting, I thought that the plot in the story was too weak, hence I made a small twist by including Kagome's family in Naraku's evil plot.

I do hope that you enjoyed the chapter

Please review!

Love

CayaC