"A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom."
-Bob Dylan
Chapter Twenty-Five: Familiar Awakenings
It was becoming too common an occurrence to wake up in beds that weren't her own, Kagome was starting to wonder if it would continue to repeat as she managed to get her eyes to focus on the hospital room. She coughed a little and then moved a hand to her throat, it felt so sore it was raw and a few tears sprung up in the sides of her eyes as she swallowed. There didn't appear to be anyone else in the room so she was instead frowning as she remembered falling asleep in the bathtub.
"Kagome!" Her mother had just walked in the door and noted she was awake, moving right over to offer a warm hug. Something about her mother's touch was just comforting and it made her feel better just to have her near. "I'm so glad you are okay! How are you feeling."
She winced when she cleared her throat and her voice was weak and broken when she started whispering as opposed to speaking. "Okay I guess, just woke up. What happened?"
"That fellow that is staying with us found you drowning and rushed you to a hospital, it's thankful that he was there to help. The doctors wanted to talk to him for a while but he should be back soon. I'm just glad you are okay." Kagome felt her guilt hit new heights when her mother had a tear run down one of her cheeks. "Well, I'll see what the nurses recommend that you eat and I need to call Grandpa and Souta so they know what's happening. I'll be right back honey."
Kagome gave as much of an apologetic look as she could muster as she received a kiss on the forehead and her mother moved away. "Great Kagome, I almost kill myself then you make Mom cry. I'm such a moron."
"Lady Kagome. You are awake." Rimida seemed surprised to see her conscious. "I was worried I had failed in my duty to protect you. I didn't think that the people here could help you come back from drowning but you said the healers in your time were amazing so I brought you here. I have to apologize for my shortcomings."
She remembered that she'd mentioned the hospital when they passed it while walking home from school and had to smile a little to herself, at least she'd been smart enough to tell Rimida where to take her when she nearly killed herself.
"Rimida." She forced herself to whisper. "Don't. I should say sorry to you…I'm always causing you nothing but trouble but you keep helping me."
"It is my duty lady Kagome." He replied. "Though the healers say you should be well enough to return to your home this evening you should reserve your voice so you don't harm it."
She nodded a little bit, happy to not be forced to talk for a while. Her mother brought her some ice cream and then starting talking to and thanking Rimida while they waited for the doctor. Once he arrived he nodded to the family and then smiled to Kagome.
"Okay miss Higurashi." He started to explain. "You are very lucky that you your friend checked on you and was able to rush you here, much longer and you would have had died or at least had heavy brain damage if we would have been able to save you. And yes I'm trying to scare you because I don't want a repeat of this to ever happen again, falling asleep in the bathtub is just stupid, do you understand that?"
She nodded a little, she wasn't going to protest, she was stupid for that.
"Now then, when your boyfriend brought you in we had to put a tube into your lungs to help us pump some of the water out and then used it to give you oxygen for a short while as it seemed your lungs were on the verge of shutting down. So while you'll be okay, you'll probably have a cough for at least the rest of today and tonight as your body will be trying to get rid of what's left in your system. Your throat will also be sore because of us needing to tube you but that will pass fairly quickly as well. You were very lucky, I can't stress that enough." The doctor finished, turning to speak to her mother when she nodded at him, pulling her mother out to the hallway to speak there.
"I should leave so you can get dressed in something more than that bizarre sheet." Rimida said calmly to her and followed her mother out.
Hospital gowns we're such horrible things; uncomfortable, cold, and if one wasn't careful; very revealing. She sighed and got up, seeing her clothes where her mother had left them, starting to get dressed when her face turned a bright red.
"If he found me in the tub then…I was naked." The realization only added to her embarrassment.
She tried not to think about it and made certain her body was well covered before she moved to open the door to find her mom and Rimida and head home.
"What do you mean he's gone somewhere you can't go?" Sesshomaru asked with slight irritation upon the return of the team he'd sent to retrieve Rimida. His sharp claws clicking on the edge of his desk lightly as he eyed the paired female demons he'd sent after his captain.
"We aren't completely sure to be honest lord." One of the two spoke for them both, her face slightly distorted with crimson lines semi-similar to Sesshomaru's. The pair were also both dog demons but they were from a distant clan and unrelated to Sesshomaru's line. "We traced their scent to a strange well outside of the village where Inuyasha stays with his mortal priestess, though I'm horrified to admit that they drove us away shortly after arrival. Your brother seemed distraught near the same well where the scents disappeared, as if he was also unable to use whatever portal they had proceeded through."
Sesshomaru listened carefully, he knew why it wasn't so simple to get through the well, he'd already been told of Kagome's home in the future but just hadn't been aware of what the exact portal was. At least that much more had been discovered for him, he was growing impatient with the long absence, he wanted the girl returned where he could keep a closer eye on her. Especially with the whispers that Rimida might be betraying him, he could be trying to turn the priestess against him as well.
"There is much to consider." He said aloud, more to himself than to his employees. "You both are dismissed until further notice."
"Yes my lord." They both bowed and headed away, leaving him to turn around and glance out the large window behind his desk. "I just want her where I can keep her safe until I can discover what prosperity she will bring my home."
Though that argument worked well enough to appease his own ego, whispers were beginning about the estate that he was going to become as his father had been, taken with a mortal woman as opposed to a demon as he should be to continue his great line. He did realize that even if he knew he wasn't going to lower himself to being with a mortal he had to step carefully if he wanted to keep his retinue convinced of that fact.
Then there was a knock and the familiar squeaky voice of his second-in-command. "You called for me my lord?"
Sure the small imp wasn't much to look at; or expect much from, but he was the most trustworthy member of his staff, which is why he held such a high position in the demon lord's court. Sesshomaru had to consider the placement of the moon before he smirked a little to himself; now would be the best time for him to pay his brother a visit, whatever risk of rumor he might have to take.
"Jaken, I need you to look after some things here while I take a small trip. There is some information that is more important than keeping up appearances at the time being." He ordered coolly. "If you can make people believe I am merely in a cross mood and have no intention of leaving my room for a time but if not then simply keep things going in my absence, do you understand?"
"Of course Lord Sesshomaru!" The imp jumped at the possibility of aiding his master without risking personal harm for once. "You won't be disappointed in me."
"Never, or you wouldn't survive." He replied as he left the room, sweeping past the suddenly nervous demon. The threats were empty but he would never lack the enjoyment such provocation invoked in his servant.
"I'll find out one way or another Orna, it would be better to discover it from you than the annoyance of having to find it in one of the musty texts that I managed to bring with us from that hell dimension." Trion said calmly, a cheerful smile on his face despite the words. "There is something unique with him, there must me. He is the only member of the family that was respected as one of the troops, he was exponentially better than all the rest of the battle bloods we made. Most importantly; unlike all the rest of the members of our blood you can actually see his future yet all chaos demons are suppose to be outside of fate. How is it that he is not?"
Orna just watched her brother silently, not showing any emotion at the revelation that he was the one betraying everyone. As if, despite the fact she couldn't have seen it in the future it didn't shock her at all.
"I know no more than you do Trion. What do you expect to extract from me? If you have the texts that you claim to have then you've only made a mistake by revealing your plans to me. I have no intention of betraying either Rimida or Sesshomaru." Her words weren't cruel or rushed, they were as measured as always though perhaps with an edge of sadness that wasn't present before.
"You are a liar Orna. A good liar, but still a dishonest little whore." He laughed as he reached out to push some of her bangs from her face. "I know you were trusted with a lot of things as the elders daughter, including how you used to sneak over and listen at the door when they had meetings. You are the only remaining member of the clan that knows Rimida's history…his parents names aren't in record like every other child born for battle."
"Assuming I do know something, you still haven't explained why I would possibly betray it to you." she said with a small shrug. "You are still young Trion. I might be the smallest but I am not without my own protections."
"Perhaps but if Rimida isn't really a chaos demon then I should be able to puppeteer him around just like any other demon on the estate. It's my game and I'm sure you would hate to be the subject of him or any of your other friends here attacking you. Even if they don't manage to kill you, can you imagine having to kill everyone you'd created a friendship with after our release? It would be as if you were being banished all over again." He continued to smile jubilantly. "Though there is also always my killing you and then going through your brain for what you know."
That got her to narrow her eyes just a touch. "You play with forbidden magic's Trion."
"Not yet, only if you force me to dear sister. It's not as though I'm asking you too much, I'm just asking you to tell me what it is that Rimida is. I don't want to kill anymore of our race but we deserve to return to the rule we once possessed."
"That time has passed. Others rule now in grand palaces where our lie in ruins. What is there to gain from creating this war?" She wanted to convince him to stop this.
"Well what we were made for Orna dear. Chaos." he chuckled. "Now tell me before I'm forced to get cross with you."
"If you insist though this information will do you no good against him if you plan to fight him." She warned honestly with a shrug.
"Just tell me."
"Rimida…he is not just a child fashioned for battle. He is the result of our family's greatest sin in delving into the forbidden magic…mixed with our chaotic blood he is a forced reincarnation of the god of war."
End Chapter
Not quite a cliffhanger but something that should hopefully make people more curious at the very least. I needed to switch out of the Rimida/Kagome interaction for a while in this chapter. Anyway, things are moving along nicely thus far. Next chapter is the x-mas chapter J.
-Aura
To my reviewers:
This kagome - Mishap amusement is the best.
Kimoukai - smile
UtterChaos247 - Heh, should be soon for you.
Elvenarcher516 - I'm glad you like my OC so much, it's good to know that I can make chars people enjoy reading. I like your fiction so far.
Lizze B - Thank you for the nifty review, and I like writing them a lot. Both of the couples in the love triangle.
Shadowkitty33 - yes, he's been feeling better now and that's the most important thing. Heh, well I have plans as to where I want to take things.
Demonic-Dragon-Eyed-Chick - Yes, I thought it was fairly clever but I wanted to skip ahead as opposed to have an awkward scene where he's carrying her half-naked across the city.
Chelsea34 - I'm getting better at them.
XXkuraiokamiXx - Of course.
Mythology101 - Who knows grin