Author's Note: Sorry for the late update! My internet was down for three days so I missed the 'one week' update that I'm always on. But... I'm trying to move quickly on these chapters because school's around the corner. Hopefully I can get the next one up soon. I'm getting kinda excited because the good parts are just around the corner.
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha...
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Chapter 49- New Prophecy
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Kagome sighed, lying softly on her mother's lap. The wind blew silently through her hair, making it float over her mother's kimono like a blanket. Midoriko had her eyes closed, listening to the wind and the waterfall while stroking Kagome's head affectionately, loving the moment she had with her daughter. She could feel that the sun was rising in the world of the living, her daughter needing to wake up soon so she could pray, heading back to her own body. Kagome then stirred to sit up, making Midoriko open her eyes as she too realized the new presence. Turning her head, she regarded Monk Kiyoshi with gentle eyes. The monk then moved several feet closer, sinking to his knees to bow low in respect, his forehead touching the soft grass while his hands came in front of his head, laid flatly on the ground.
"You may rise, Brother," Kagome said, sitting next to her mother with the same formality. Monk Kiyoshi then rose, his bald head the only shine to his features. At this, Kagome frowned. "Is something troubling you, Brother, for you to be visiting us at this time?"
Monk Kiyoshi nodded, regarding the younger miko first. "I have urgent news, my lady. Late this evening, Monk Arata was strolling through the Garden of Naiku when he had happened to fall upon the Stone of Life." He took his time, emphasizing his point but his voice held total serenity from years of training. "He informed me that written on the Stone was a poem, indeed."
Kagome seemed rather shocked and perplexed. The Stone of Life was ancient, immovable from years of being planted in the Garden of Naiku. No one was allowed in the Naiku Shrine, no visitors at all. This brought forth a frown from Kagome.
"Is it carved?" Midoriko asked, her voice breaking the silence with a tranquil voice.
Monk Kiyoshi immediately turned his gaze towards the elder priestess, acknowledging her question. "Yes, my lady. I, myself, had gone to see this skeptical happening and it was indeed true. The Stone of Life holds a four line poem with only three words in each line."
Midoriko scrunched her face, suddenly shocked by his words. "Convenient? Three words in each line? That doesn't seem like a coincidence or just some plain trick from someone."
Monk Kiyoshi shook his head. "I have already spoken with the monks and priestesses of the shrine and none of them have been in the Garden of Naiku this late of night."
"It wasn't there before tonight?" Kagome asked, getting very suspicious of this poem.
Monk Kiyoshi looked towards her, shaking his head. "Monk Minoru and Monk Kenshin told me they had traveled through the garden and had not seen the words."
There was a moment of silence while the priestesses took the surprise in and thought things through. Kagome wondered what the poem could mean, even though the words were still a mystery. First, she wanted to know why a poem could be on the Stone of Life, a very spiritual stone. None could touch it but her or one of her Brothers. Sighing, Kagome smiled at her Brother. "What were the words?"
"New Life Dies… Wings of Sorrow… Orb of Light… Dawn of Tomorrow," he said, his voice solemn as if he had been reciting it to himself for some time now.
Midoriko listened intently, saying the words over again in her mind. It only made one sense. It had to mean that the Fates were intervening and adding a bit of a twist to Kagome's prophecy. She had not known they would do such a thing. The prophecy was meant to be stone, yet, she figured that since her daughter was breaking some of the rules, they could too. Midoriko shook her head, not liking the situation at all. The Fates were not one to mess with. "Kagome," she called, seeing as how the young girl and the monk turned to look at her. "It seems that this poem is another piece of your prophecy."
Kagome scrunched up her face in her confusion. "Another prophecy?"
Midoriko shook her head. "Just an add on. I believe that the Fates are pulling their own strings through this destiny. However, the words of the poem do not quite strike me as kind."
Kagome then remembered the words. "New life dies? Well… do they not want me to save the world? Is that what it means?" she asked, looking to her mother for her opinion.
Monk Kiyoshi shook his head. "That is the point of having the prophecy. I do not believe that the Fates would do such a thing."
Midoriko nodded her agreement and thought of the next line. "Wings of sorrow. What could that mean?" she thought aloud, the line not making any sense at all. Monk Kiyoshi shook his head.
"I have a theory of my own as I have been thinking about this ever since I have been informed about the words. New life dies… I believe that it means some sort of child would die. That could only mean the new life."
Midoriko nodded her head, understanding what the monk was saying very clearly. "Yes. That makes sense." Her eyes shone and then regarded him, urging him to continue. "Please continue. I do seek your wisdom in this Monk Kiyoshi."
Nodding his head, Monk Kiyoshi then recited the next line. "Wings of sorrow. I believe it implies to the fact that the loss of the child was devastating and grief runs everywhere."
Midoriko shrugged. "Yes. Could be so. And the next line?"
"Orb of light. I have thought long and hard about this. First, I thought it could be the sun but then that was too obvious. However, since this implies to the prophecy, like you claim priestess, then I believe that the orb must be the Shikon no Tama."
At this, Kagome intently watched her brother, taking in his words and realizing that he was piecing things together quite easily, now making sense to her. The lines were spelling out something from the future that had to do with the jewel and new life. They were connected somehow to her prophecy and to the war.
"And lastly, Dawn of tomorrow. Now this I really thought it could connect with the orb being the sun. However, I seem to be lost now that you have proven me wrong, my lady," Monk Kiyoshi said, bowing his head in forgiveness.
Midoriko smiled and waved her hand gently. "It does not matter. Your words have worked wonders, monk. I thank you for helping. It seems like you have indeed put a lot of thought into this and it does make sense now. However, with such new findings we must tread softly. We can't tell what this might bring or if it even implies to when Kagome fulfills her prophecy or before Kagome does."
Monk Kiyoshi nodded. "Yes. It is an unwanted issue at a time like this," he said with a sigh.
Midoriko nodded. "Go now. I see that you grow weary and the sun rises soon. Thank you for informing us about this, Monk Kiyoshi. I bid you a peaceful sleep."
Monk Kiyoshi bowed. "Thank you, my ladies." With that, he rose and turned around to walk away, his form suddenly disappearing in the mist.
Kagome stared intently at the spot that her brother had sat. He had indeed brought unwanted problems. Now with this new prophecy, or so they thought, it only brought more trouble and more confusion into the picture. She had to find out what it meant and why it appeared now, of all the times. Kagome sighed and ran a hand through her hair. The dawn was upon her and it was time to awaken.
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Kagome sighed again, tapping her pencil absentmindedly on her desk. One more period until lunch and she had the freedom to be in the open. The classroom was uncomfortable and the teacher was rambling on about something that went through one ear and out the other, her brain not taking in any of the information. As she looked out the window, Kagome frowned, her sorrow and confusion etched deeply on the lines near her brows. 'New life dies… what could that mean?' she thought for the millionth time. 'If it does mean a child… then who's child?' It didn't really make sense. If the words were a part of her prophecy, then everything was implying to her. So did that mean… Kagome's head suddenly snapped up, her pencil being hit on the desk for the last time. 'A child… Me? With a child?' she thought, trying to piece things together. It did fit, the words did imply to her, everything was about her and her destiny, so did that mean the new life came from her? 'Of course not, Kagome. We are preventing this as best we can and I know that a child is not something I want right now… or could ever have,' she thought sadly, but then pushed her sadness aside. 'A child… so… maybe Souta? Or one of the kids at the daycare center? They're the only children that are near or in my life.' If so… then what were the wings of sorrow? 'The orb of light makes sense. But then the dawn of tomorrow?' she thought, once again resuming her position on the desk. Her head lay on her palm while her pencil began to tap out a rhythm again. She desperately wanted to understand the words, but her mind couldn't forget about the new life and the fact that it could mean it was she who was giving the new life. Even though it made her think, smile, even dream, she didn't want to dream of it. It was too much to get her hopes up and maybe then realize later she was wrong. She definitely would have to talk to her mother about this and see what her mother came up with.
"Kagome!" a voice said from the side of her.
Kagome snapped out of it and turned to look at Kikyo, the girl seeming very happy and giddy in her seat. The whole class was on the edge of their seats, obviously very quiet as if something was happening.
"Hello? Didn't you hear me calling you?" At the shake of Kagome's head, Kikyo just shook her head quickly, her eyes gleaming with her big smile. "Never mind. Ms. Fields is saying the princes and princesses."
Kagome's eyes bulged, suddenly straightening herself out in the seat as she looked up at the speaker box above the chalkboard. Ms. Fields was talking about how close the numbers were from the king and queen to the princes and princesses.
"It was very close for all contestants but here are your junior prom court members." There were some kids in the background helping Ms. Fields as they made a drum roll, adding to the excitement. "We have… Prince Hojo Akitoki and Princess Aiko Fujitani." There was a round of applause in the background as Ms. Fields' helpers praised the winners and even some of the kids in the class cheered, surprised and happy. "Prince Haru Miso and Princess Emi Okina." Another round of applause was made as Kikyo turned to look at her sister, clapping her hands, with an arched eyebrow. Kagome shook her head with a smile, knowing that those two were a bit of freaky, yet it was obvious that people liked them like that. "Prince Kenta Sato and Princess Nanami Yamada." Kagome rolled her eyes as Kikyo glared and didn't clap for the winners, or at least, just for the girl. Nanami was someone who loved to pick fights with girls she thought was better than she was. "Prince Ryuichi Sakamoto and Princess Haruki Murakami." Kikyo shrugged her shoulders and made a face, judging and trying to imagine how their junior prom would be with all these princes and princesses. "Prince Koga Takamiya and Princess Sango Taijiya." Kagome immediately squealed, stomping her feet on the ground excitedly while she laughed and slapped the desk. Kikyo, too, was screaming her excitement, yelling for Sango and Koga being one of the winners. They were so excited that they bounced in their seats and grabbed each other's hands, holding on tightly as a wave of excitement flew through them. "And for your king and queen. It wasn't easy because it was a close tie with Taijiya and Takamiya." The kids on the speaker again began to do a drum roll while Kagome and Kikyo calmed themselves, but unable to stop smiling and giggling, their happiness for their friends obvious. "Your King… Inuyasha Takahashi and your Queen… Kagome Higurashi." At this, Kagome suddenly blanked out, her face becoming emotionless as shock overtook her. Her eyes stared wide at the ground as she heard cheering and applause while Ms. Fields told her congratulations to everyone and then the bell rung for lunch. Kids were giggling and talking on their way out about the prom court, already starting rumors of their opinion.
Kagome remained motionless in her seat, unable to move or think. 'What!' her mind screamed, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Did she just say her name? 'Queen! WHAT!!!' she thought with distress. Her mind was just blank, not knowing what to think, not knowing if she should be happy or not.
Kikyo shook her sister over and over, as there were no more kids in the classroom. Her smile was still on, even wider after finding out her sister and Inuyasha had won for king and queen. But Kagome was currently speechless, obviously, and she wasn't moving at all, as she tried to push Kagome off her seat. Kikyo huffed. "Kagome! Get up!"
Kagome blinked slowly, her mouth hanging open while she tried to take deep breaths. 'I'm okay. I'm okay. It's just queen… just queen. Right… that's good. Just being a beautiful… elegant… queen,' she thought, trying to smile but unable to move her mouth up, only succeeding in getting a twitch. She felt her arm being pulled and she was dragged out of her seat, suddenly standing up in front of her sister with an irritated face.
"Kagome! Snap out of it will ya! I know you're happy! You should be happy," Kikyo said, grabbing Kagome's hand while she moved towards the exit. She kept Kagome with her, looking to her sister to see if she was all right. The quietness was a little weird. Kagome hadn't rejected with being on court but she hadn't screamed about it either. It was just… no reaction at all. Kikyo scrunched her eyebrows and frowned, stopping in the less crowded hallway and grabbed her sister by the shoulders.
"Are you okay, Kagome? Do you want to give up your seat?" she asked, suddenly concerned about Kagome's quietness.
Kagome just stared blankly at Kikyo's face. She could hear her sister's words yet her mind was still reeling about it. It was just so shocking that she out of all the other thirty something people on the list had made queen. 'QUEEN!' It was troubling yet she didn't know if she should be happy. However, deep inside, whether she cared to admit it to herself or not, Kagome was secretly happy. Somewhere, she wanted to be on court and in the eyes of others. She wanted to feel special and in that spotlight, to put it clear. It was a once in a lifetime thing. Kagome suddenly smiled, feeling her happiness and joy welling up, pushing aside her troubled and confused state. She would be happy for her and Inuyasha making it to something as king and queen. Shaking her head, putting on that smile on her face, Kagome looked back at her sister, her eyes finally showing emotion. "Oh my God! Oh my God, Kikyo!" she said, jumping up and down and pulling her sister into a tight hug. Kikyo chuckled and then laughed along with Kagome, finally getting some kind of reaction from the girl. She was happy that Kagome had made it, and the other three. She was happy that Kagome even wanted to be on court. 'It will be good for her to get her mind off of other things…' she thought, thinking that it could help in more ways than one.
Kagome pulled back, her eyes glowing in wonder. "Let's go see the others." That said, they made their way outside towards their table, seeing that there was some kind of commotion going on as Koga and Inuyasha were pushing each other, although it seemed playfully. Kikyo smiled and pulled on her sister's arm, running towards the table with excitement. Immediately, Inuyasha turned to see his girlfriend coming his way, her scent catching him out of his troublemaking with Koga. Inuyasha smiled and turned to meet Kagome who ran right into his arms.
"Congratulations, Kagome!" Rin said, cheering from the table. She had a huge smile on her face, unable to believe that those two were king and queen.
Sango giggled and walked over to the couple, giving them both a hug. Inuyasha arched his eyebrow, his arms still around Kagome as she giggled with her friends, watching as Sango looked at her.
"Aren't you happy, Kag?" she asked, moving back to view the two. They would make the best king and queen ever in Sakura High.
Kagome nodded her head. "I have to admit, I was shocked when I heard that I won for queen. I really thought that I didn't quite hear or it was a joke," she said with a blush.
Inuyasha put his arm around her waist and brought her to him, a frown on his face. "Why? You don't want to be on court?"
Kagome looked up shaking her head. "Oh no. It's not that… it's just…"
"She didn't want to be on it at first," Kikyo said, filing in for her sister. "But now that she's thinking about it, it's a privilege and a great opportunity." she said, wiggling her eyebrows with a tease.
The girls nodded their head as Kagome looked over to her sister and shrugged her arms, thinking that Kikyo summed it up. Kikyo smiled back and hit her hands on the table. "I can't believe only you two, and Koga and Sango made it."
Sango flew her arms in the air, disbelieving as well. "I know. I mean… who in the world picked Koga to be my partner?" she asked, arching her brow at the boy who sat at the other end of the table.
Koga looked up and glared at Sango. "Hey! I don't hear a compliment in there," he said, Ayame laughing at his side.
Sango arched her eyebrow right back at him and made a snobby face. "Please… there was no compliment in there." Everyone began to laugh at Koga who was now glaring daggers at Sango, even though he knew it was a joke. The gang then spent the rest of the lunch period talking about the prom and their excitement. Kagome was definitely thrilled and still shocked that she was queen. Yet, after thinking about the amount of girls that had to be decided from, she was definitely thankful for being the one with the most scores. 'I wonder why the others didn't get chosen…' she thought, but as she looked around at all the happy faces and excited talk, Kagome knew that the others were still happy whether they were on the court or not.
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"Call me!" Sango screamed as she walked with Miroku towards his car. Kids were leaving and walking everywhere, getting home as quickly and as cheerfully as they could. It was finally Christmas Break and the students were enjoying it, especially the juniors. Since prom was in three months, they had to start shopping for clothes, which meant fun, especially for the girls. Sango watched as Kagome waved back at her.
"I will! See you guys later!"
"Bye, Kagome!" Kagome heard as she turned around and walked with Inuyasha towards his car. She held her book with her other hand as she opened the door and got in, smiling as she sank into the comfy, leather chair.
"Can I sleep over tonight?" she asked, turning to see Inuyasha smile at her as he slipped his key in the ignition.
"Sure. I'd love that," he said, bouncing his eyebrows in a teasing matter. Kagome just sighed with a laugh and buckled herself in, enjoying the ride and already used to the way her boyfriend drives. They sped their way through the bustling city, going to the edge of town where Inuyasha lived. Kagome was so used to Inuyasha's driving that she didn't even flinch as he almost hit a car from stopping at the last minute. That then left a very angry hanyou as he began to yell out the window. Kagome sighed and turned up the music, smiling to herself as she sang with the song blaring from the sound system in the exotic car. The gate into the Takahashi's residence opened as Inuyasha sped his way down the long road towards the circle around the front of his house. There was a black Mercedes parked near the bottom of the stairs as they made their way to the side of the house to park the car in the garage.
"Whose car was that?" Kagome asked as she got out, grabbing her binder close to her, watching as Inuyasha's head popped up from the car.
"David. I wonder what he wants," Inuyasha thought, closing his door to take his girlfriend's hand with a smile. Kagome smiled back and walked with him towards the door connecting to the house. There was no one in the living room and there was no movement or voices downstairs. Inuyasha's ears twitched, trying to find the voices in his home, signaling where David could be.
"My brother's office," Inuyasha said, walking towards the stairs. Kagome followed, eyeing him suspiciously with a curious stare.
"You can hear them?" she asked, amazed at the hearing capabilities he has.
Inuyasha stopped, one foot on a higher stair than the other as he looked next to him. He smiled, showing his fangs at her, while bending his head down, capturing Kagome's mouth in a slow, soft kiss of longing passion. Kagome almost dropped her binder by the intense heat that began to flow through her veins from him. He could do that to her. Inuyasha pulled back to kiss her pumping pulse. "I can hear your heart beating quickly. What made you so excited, Kagome?" he asked, his voice teasing her skin.
Kagome pushed him back with her binder, putting some distance between them as she glared at his prideful face. "Wipe that smile off your face, Inuyasha Takahashi," she said, releasing his hand as she began to make her way up the stairs, flicking her hair behind her in a very feminine way. Inuyasha didn't miss that movement, his eyes suddenly devouring her from behind, the way she moved up the stairs and the way her hips danced in a rhythm of their own. He sighed, feeling his demon stirring to life again by just one look of Kagome.
"Are you coming?" Kagome asked, knowing that his demon aura was still at the same place. Inuyasha smirked and easily made it to Kagome's side with one leap, covering the rest of the stairs as they began to walk down the hall towards Sesshomaru's office. Without knocking, Inuyasha walked in and saw David talking to his brother, but the conversation stopped, as he expected.
"Would it hurt for you to knock before entering, little brother?" Sesshomaru asked, his gaze steady on Inuyasha.
Inuyasha looked bored as he walked towards the two, Kagome right behind him. "Yeah, yeah. So what are you doing here, David?" he asked, sitting in the seat next to David as Kagome sat in one of the other seats on the side, getting comfortable on the leather chairs.
David turned to view the kid, his dark glasses resting on his head while he wore a casual outfit, as usual. "Well, as obvious as it is, Mayonaka has certainly made an appearance and now there are people waiting to make some deals and contracts with you guys." He watched as Inuyasha took in the information, his face going from sulky to one of interest and amazement. "I think that we need to start getting together soon and discuss on what you guys want to do first."
"What do you mean 'first'?" Inuyasha asked. He was shocked that things were happening so fast. Their performance was last week, only four days ago, and now there's companies already wanting to hook them up.
David relaxed in his chair. "Well I already got calls from many businesses. There were some from clothing, concert halls and, of course, music industries. There are other sponsors out there that are willing to take you guys under their wing."
"Which I disagreed on. You will remain with David and his company," Sesshomaru said, his voice law as he listened to the conversation. Inuyasha just glanced his way and then looked back at David, not really caring who was in charge of this business deals… thing.
"So where does this leave us?" he asked, placing his arms on the arms of the chair.
"This leaves us with a lot of phone calls and a lot of publicity to come," David said with a sigh. He looked over to Inuyasha with a stern face. "You're gonna have to straighten up, Inuyasha. All of you guys. Now that the public knows about Mayonaka, there will be reporters wanting to get information about you guys. Didn't they go to your school yet?" he asked, wondering why no one has bugged the school about the band.
Inuyasha shook his head while looking over at Kagome to see that she agreed with him as well. "Why are they coming to the school?"
David ran a hand through his hair. "Remember at the mall? The announcer had information about the school you guys attended and some of your favorite things, your hobbies and so on. But I'm still wondering why people haven't gone to your school yet. There will be nosy reporters wanting a piece of information, even if just a little bit, just to start a story."
Sesshomaru moved then, making their eyes turn to him while he fiddled with his computer. "If Inuyasha does have paparazzi at his school, it would be a crime and nuisance of its own, would it not?"
David nodded. "But they still would go there, no matter the consequences. That's just how those bastards are. Jail time doesn't mean a thing if you have the money."
Inuyasha arched his eyebrow but remained silent. 'Paparazzi? At school? Wouldn't that cause a lot of commotion?' he thought, wondering if the paparazzi were a good thing or not. It sounded cool to have cameras flashing at them, but during school with other kids trying to get in the spotlight and act all crazy would be a wreck. That's just how teenagers were now days with the media and cameras. Inuyasha sighed and placed his forehead on his hand. "So… what do we do now?"
David turned back to Inuyasha with a sigh. "Well… right now there are a lot of places that want to be your next destination for you guys to play at. I'm quite sure that this is going to happen until you guys pick your next place to play. Are you guys even thinking about that?" he asked, not knowing if the boys were thinking about performing again.
Inuyasha shrugged. "We never talked about it. Should we?" he asked, arching his eyebrow in wonder.
David shrugged and looked over to Sesshomaru to see his opinion. Sesshomaru regarded them with another casual shrug. "If you want, Inuyasha, it is the band's decision to make but I believe you should hold it off for some time or at least until you get your album finished."
David's eyebrows arched as he became a bit excited. "Oh yeah. Speaking of that. I have the final of the four songs. I think that if we can finish with at least seven more songs then we'll be good for the first album. It doesn't have to be big, but just enough where people will get a taste of what you guys like to sing about and the styles." Inuyasha nodded his head while remembering to tell the others about making seven more songs. "Also, I have put you guys in for photo taking at Teen People."
Kagome's eyes bulged while she remained quiet, not knowing who the company was, but knowing that it must be big because of the fact that it was a teen magazine and every teenager would know about them. Kagome smiled, remaining quite on her side of the room. She watched the three of them, wondering how Inuyasha would take it.
Inuyasha, however, remained calm but inside he was freaking out about being in a magazine. Sesshomaru, however, could sense his brother's excitement. "Why do you hide your happiness, Inuyasha? This is something big and you should be happy, and thankful, for it."
Inuyasha glared at his brother. "I am happy for it. Doesn't mean that I have to start jumping around."
Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, looking at David. "It would help."
David smirked with a chuckle. "Inuyasha… I know that this is still a shock but I need you and the others to maintain a good image out in public."
Inuyasha arched his eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"This break out in the magazine may be your door into fame, which now brings…" David then listed some things while tapping a finger at a time, "paparazzi… crazy fans… reporters… labelers… many other people wanting a piece of the band." David then looked over at Sesshomaru. "Do you have bodyguards for them?"
"Woah… bodyguards?" Inuyasha asked with his quirked eyebrow. He thought it would be cool to have a bodyguard, but it would be a bit irritating to have someone following him around all the damn time. His mind was trying to take everything in at the same time while he tried to cope with it as well. 'This is my life now.' he thought with a sigh, needing to get used to it.
Sesshomaru regarded David with his usual expression. "I have not begun to look for bodyguards, however, I will be the one to choose them. I will have them by the end of this week."
David nodded while his phone beeped at his side. "Good. We're definitely gonna need them by then." He then checked his phone, his eyes scanning the screen in concentration and interest.
"How many?" Sesshomaru asked, knowing that he could find them very easily. Finding men that he could trust wasn't that hard of a task. There were many reliable employees at his father's corporation that would agree to be a bodyguard for his brother. They would do it just because he said so, but they would do it nonetheless.
David had his head turned towards Sesshomaru, but his eyes were moving on the buttons as he pressed them. "I would say… maybe three. One for each. Although I do think that it is still a bit soon for many, one for each would be good. For now." Inuyasha looked shocked at David. 'For now? What the hell does he mean, 'for now'? How many more are we gonna need?' David then closed his phone and regarded Sesshomaru, his eyes gleaming. "I think that you should talk to the school and get some sort of agreement to make a charge on any reporters who sets foot onto the school's grounds. You will see, in time, that the paparazzi can be a definite pain in the ass and hard to get rid of and I'm quite sure that the staff of Sakura High would not want unwanted attention everyday."
Sesshomaru nodded his agreement, already feeling tons of paperwork on his back. "I will talk to the school about getting arrest issues. That way, they won't have to worry about having the bodyguards with them at school."
David nodded. "Exactly." He then began to stand, watching in wonder as Sesshomaru began to rise as well, being the gentlemen as he was. David smiled, secretly admiring and envying this demon. Sesshomaru definitely was not a friendly person but the respect and etiquette he shows was something that David respected even more from such a powerful demon and he was glad to work with Sesshomaru. "Well… I have to go. Other people to attend to. But…" he said, regarding Sesshomaru one last time. "You should be getting a call from Teen People by the end of this week to confirm the appointment that is one week from today."
Sesshomaru nodded his head. David then looked down at Inuyasha. "Remember what I told you. Appearance is everything. If you appear like a bum, the world will know you as a bum so don't make any unwanted news about yourself. You'll come to learn that your life is the center of attention in this world." Inuyasha made a face as David smiled at him and walked out of the office, making his way out of the house to leave the residence.
The room remained quiet as Inuyasha took in all the information he just got in ten minutes. So now… they had to write more songs, practice, and come up with the final soon so they could give an album before performing again. Also, they had to worry about bodyguards. 'Who in the world needs them? I can take care of myself, dammit,' he thought, not really thinking about all the fans that might be swarming him. Inuyasha sighed, running a hand through his hair. There was so much to do, and now with Christmas vacation, they would have to work extra hard with the free time. Junior year was hard enough with higher classes and needing more studying time at home. Now, with this on board, it was going to be a rough ride. Kagome's aura was the first thing that calmed his nerves, forcing himself to stay sane through the tornado of news. He felt her next to him, allowing himself to wrap an arm around her waist as she sat on the arm of the chair. Inuyasha sighed again and looked over at his brother who was currently typing something on the computer.
"Do you think David's right about this bodyguard thing?" he asked. A part of him was excited to have many screaming fans and cameramen wanting a piece of him and the others. But another part of him was dreading the Hell it would be just to live with people like that wherever he goes.
Sesshomaru turned from his computer, watching, as his brother looked torn between smiling or frowning from his circumstance. "With as much people there were at Crysta Nagahori, I am quite sure that you should be expecting some people coming to see you three. There was a lot of word already at the mall and Osaka is a very popular city. It is only a matter of time before Tokyo becomes hit with the news and Sakura High would be the first place they turn to for more information because that was the only place they were given at the performance," he said rather calmly.
Inuyasha scrunched up his face. "So it's gonna be hell just to go to school." he stated with a grumble, knowing full well that by the time winter vacation ended, there would be paparazzi at school and everywhere he went.
Sesshomaru nodded. "I do believe that a bodyguard or two would be good when we are traveling to events. However, as an every day life, I do not think it is needed, for now."
"You and David are sounding alike. What do you mean, for now?" Inuyasha asked, his eyebrow quirked.
"Over time, the media will get smarter and begin to find information from classmates. Teenagers are known for opening their mouths on rumors and especially if they get at least five seconds in the spotlight," Sesshomaru said with a sigh. He leaned back in his chair, watching the two teenagers across from him. "Sooner or later they will get information on your best friends, your girlfriend, your car's license plate, your address, everything. It's just time we have to deal with right now."
Kagome was rather shocked by what Sesshomaru was saying. She couldn't believe that this was the life Inuyasha wanted. She knew nothing of publicity. She hadn't grown up around the television or the radio. Only solitude and nature surrounded her childhood so she could do nothing but listen in interest as to the obstacles that they were going to face. The media seemed like a fickle thing to Kagome. They would do anything just for a word of information on Mayonaka. 'It seems… frightening, to have such attention and worry about the media every second of the day.' Kagome bit her bottom lip while she felt Inuyasha's hand tense, grabbing her t-shirt.
"You think they're gonna bother even our girlfriends and their families?" Inuyasha asked. That was just wrong, and he wouldn't let the damn media make Kagome into some sort of story on the news.
Sesshomaru looked towards Kagome, seeing her worry and wonder in her eyes. His eyes softened at her, showing his apology and warmth to her, the only other person he allowed to see his soft side. "I am sorry, Kagome, but I know the media and they are like David said… bastards. They would do anything to get some sort of piece on the band members just for a story in the newspaper. Anything at all. I'm quite sure that you and the other girls would definitely have the same problems that the boys will be having for the next years in the music business." Sesshomaru looked towards his brother and could see that Inuyasha was bothered and frustrated at the new information, but it was the truth. Kagome smiled at him, showing back even more warmth than he had given. Her eyes glowed lovingly at him and Sesshomaru found himself smiling at the girl. She was so loving and easy to love that he could not believe she was alive, such a rare gift to even his half demon brother.
"Don't worry about it, Sessho," Kagome said, turning to glance at Inuyasha. "I'm quite sure that we'll get used to it, right Inu?" she asked, trying to get him to cheer up. It was a once in a lifetime thing to sing in front of screaming fans and having your songs, written from your heart, out for the world to hear. Kagome knew it was the boys' dreams and if this was their consequence, to be the center of attention in the media world, then so be it.
Inuyasha looked up at Kagome, saw the excitement, and trust in her eyes. She trusted him to keep her safe and he would never let her down. The media would just have to deal with him and his family if something were to happen. However, Kagome was right. He wanted to do this and they worked so hard to get this far. He was damned if they turned back now just because they were afraid of flashing cameras and pushing people. Inuyasha smiled to reassure Kagome and got up, telling his brother that he was going over to Miroku's and Koga's house to tell them the news.
-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-
Flopping down on a concrete wall, built around a water fountain, Sango sighed heavily as she felt her legs give up under her. She looked next to her as Kagome sat down as well, seeing that the girl was pooped too. Sango smiled at Kagome, happy that she could spend time with her. "So how are things going with the band?" she asked, pulling up her feet to rest on the concrete while getting comfortable. People passed by with their own conversations as they rested on a water fountain in the middle of the walkway in a mall, very content and happy from a long journey of shopping.
Kagome smiled and looked over at her friend. "Good. Ever since vacation started, we've been practicing every morning. It's pretty cool, though, the way those three seem to work their instruments together," she said with admiration.
Sango arched her eyebrow. "So you guys are almost finished?" she wondered.
Kagome shook her head, her hair spilling on her shoulders. "No." she said, looking down at her feet. "We've only been practicing for six days and we've got pretty far, but it's still not as good as Inuyasha wants it to be. I gotta say Sango… Inuyasha has a good ear," she said with a smile and surprise in her eyes.
Sango laughed, running a hand through her hair while watching some people walk by. "You don't say? I never knew that your boyfriend was smart enough to be good with something. But as I think about it… listening to instruments doesn't take brains," she said with a laugh.
Kagome laughed with her friend, happy that they could spend time together. The past few days went by in a blur for her. It was just practice with the boys and no fun. Not like she wasn't used to that kind of lifestyle, but she needed to get back with training with her grandfather and praying. Sleeping over Inuyasha's house has proven hard, especially when she needed to wake up early and meditate before the sun rises. For one thing, Inuyasha always seems to know when she wakes up and he doesn't let her leave because he claims it's 'too early' for her to wake up. Also, Aunt Izzy would always be up early, just like her own mother, and be cooking. Kagome would always be stopped by her and have a chat before the sunrise, missing her meditation session. The only time she could do it was only at home because she hadn't told their family about her meditating and training sessions. Kagome sighed, also remembering about the song practices. Inuyasha was definitely good with hearing the different instruments and the way the voices blended and at what tones. He was remarkable and she was awed by his talent. However, as the days ticked by, her body was beginning to feel the effects of singing over and over and standing up on that stage in Koga's club.
"I'm glad we could spend time together, Sango," Kagome said, turning to smile at her friend. Sango turned and smiled back, her brown eyes shining with love and happiness.
"I'm glad too, Kagome," she said, her smile reaching her eyes. Kagome sighed then, getting back up to dust herself off.
"We better get back to the boys. Knowing them, they're probably hungry by now," Kagome said, looking back down at Sango. Sango sighed, not excitingly, but reluctantly got off her comfortable position. She slipped her feet in her slippers and stood up, smiling at her best friend as she regarded Kagome with a pleasing smile. It was definitely worth spending even five minutes alone with Kagome. No mater how short the time Sango had with her best friend, she would use it wisely and to her best advantage.
-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-
Closing the shoji, Kagome sighed tiredly, glad to be home. "Tadaima," she called out rather weakly, tired from the day. Kagome got her shoes off and walked into the kitchen, seeing her entire family sitting down at the kitchen table. "Sorry I'm late."
Kira shook her head and smiled in welcome, offering her daughter a seat. Kagome moved next to her sister and sat down, her body feeling drained and her muscles aching from the day. Her hair didn't have its build anymore as it drooped and so were her eyes. A plate was placed in front of her and Kagome smiled thanks to her mother before grabbing her chopsticks and digging into her dinner. Kira sat down across from her daughters, with Souta at one end of the table next to her and her father on her right. She smiled at Kagome, glad that she was home.
"How was your day?" she asked, placing her napkin on her lap.
Kagome wiped her mouth and looked up from her plate. "Tiring. I mean… really. I woke up this morning, went to practice with the boys until lunchtime. Then we went to the mall to buy them some clothes for tomorrow's photo shoot at Teen People. I swear… it's been Hell today," she said with a tired sigh. Walking around the mall had worn her out. Who would have thought that the boys would have been more excited and actually take a long time shopping at a mall… for clothes. 'This world is coming to an end…' she thought with a smile while looking down at her food.
Kira smiled apologetically, feeling her daughter's tiredness but also smiling at the fun she must have had today. Kikyo giggled and nudged her sister. "So did they find something nice to wear?"
Kagome nodded her head, picking at her food and placing some in her mouth. "Yeah. I love what they picked too. Inuyasha got a sort of… bad boy look."
Kikyo shrugged and arched her eyebrows with a nod of her head. "Typical." Souta, too, gave his nod with a smile and Kagome smiled at them both, agreeing.
"Miroku bought a sort of cool outfit that has chains hanging on his jeans. He looks really cute in them," she said with a giggle, still picturing how Miroku loved the kind of gothic/mysterious look the pants gave him with the shirt. "And then Koga got a more conservative, yet dangerous outfit. Or at least… he claims it makes him look dangerous but I didn't really see it. It looks just like a bad boy outfit to me. All of their outfits were sort of bad boys," she said with a shrug, sticking some noodles in her mouth.
Kikyo made a face, excited about the photo shoot. "Cool. I can't wait to see them."
"Are you guys coming tomorrow?" Kagome asked, wondering if Onigumo wanted to go as well.
Kikyo nodded. "We were gonna come and watch with you. Do you think we can come in?"
Kagome shrugged. "I guess so. I don't know," she said, eating more of her food. Her plate was just as gone as the rest of her family's. She was catching up rather quickly and her appetite was being sated. Now, her sleep was calling and so was a bath.
"What time do you have to leave, Kagome?" Jiisan asked, knowing that Kagome just didn't have time to train anymore. She had told him that she wanted to support Inuyasha with his career but also school was stressing her with prom and with being a junior. Her classes were hard, her AP and honor's class being a pain, and also with being on court and on prom committee, he knew it was wearing his granddaughter down. However, he was proud of her nonetheless.
"I have to leave at 7 so I'll have time to have breakfast with you guys," she said with a reassuring smile knowing that she hadn't spent time with her family for the past six days.
Jiisan nodded his head. "Are you going to meditate?" he asked, his voice very lovingly yet there was still a strict tone in there, meaning that he wasn't playing around.
Kagome nodded. "I haven't been meditating for the past days since being at Inuyasha's was something different. I didn't have time to meditate but my miko energy has not overwhelmed me just yet."
"But I can see the effects it is having on you. You are growing weary faster, are you not?" Jiisan asked, placing his chopsticks down.
Kagome nodded, her eyes going a bit wide in surprise and understanding. Her grandfather was right. The reason why she was so tired lately was because her miko energy was building up and bringing her body down, wearing her out before she would usually be worn out. Kagome smiled thanks at her grandfather. "Thanks Jiisan. I really just thought it was school and waking up early that was making me tired," she said with another sigh. There was too much sighs and Kagome didn't want to eat anymore. "May I be excused?" she asked.
Kira nodded her head. "Good night, sweetheart. I'll wash your dishes."
Kagome smiled to her family and began to walk out of the room. "I'll see you in the morning, Kikyo." Kikyo nodded and said her good night to her sister's back as Kagome made her way up the stairs and to a short bath. Kagome weakly made it up the stairs, sighing to herself as she dragged her body into her room. She made a note to herself to not wait six days to meditate because of the fact that she did feel so very weary. A lot more weary than she had ever felt over all this stress. At first, she was just satisfied that it was probably the overwhelming schoolwork and responsibilities, plus trying to help Inuyasha guys and making the song. It was all overwhelming. Yet as the days went by during winter break, she began to feel even more tired every time, more than the day before. Now Kagome understood why, thanks to her grandfather. 'I can't do this again. I feel so tired.' Kagome never made it to her bath as her eyes shut before she could walk into her bathroom. She just flopped right down on the bed.
-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-
It was all peace in the Maboroshi Kokudo. Everywhere, the plants and the life enveloped one another with joy for living. Peace. However, somewhere, someone was in turmoil, great turmoil and distress within herself, affecting the outside world more than she thought. Monk Kiyoshi and his four Brothers sat in a circle with their Lady Midoriko, within her presence of serious discussion. They were called early this evening by their priestess to talk about the new prophecy that was on their doorstep and another burden on their years to come. The monks waited patiently while feeling the heaviness in the air. They knew where the negative aura was coming from. Priestess Midoriko was having an internal war of some kind to be causing such heaviness in her aura that was felt by the other monks. They could only watch her as her eyes remained closed, lashes gracing her cheeks, while her body was as still as the wind, no movement at all. They waited for the time to speak about the new prophecy that was still a confusion to them, but were certain to get clear tonight. And they waited for the time to come when the prophecy would take place and what it would mean for Kagome and the world.
Midoriko frowned and then opened her eyes, revealing her beautiful brown orbs filled with sorrow and worry. Immediately, the monks resisted the urge to speak, asking her of her welfare. They were shocked that their priestess was sad but knew that it had something to do with the prophecy, so they allowed her to start. Midoriko released a shuddering breath. 'How could they do this to her?' she thought with anger and sadness, both beating at the same time. Midoriko's aura began to clash with the other monks, mixing with theirs to overcome their aura with her anger and sadness, allowing them to feel how she felt. Right now, she didn't care who was affected by her anger and sadness. Her concern was for her daughter and what the Fates threw at her. Remembering about the monks, Midoriko inhaled a cool breath and released it, throwing all her tension and distress with it.
"I have… terrible news," she said, her voice so soft and sad on the wind.
The monks knew exactly what she was going to talk about and their concerns were thrown in with their priestess. They remained quiet, respective, while their heads were tilted slightly towards the land, still giving their priestess the respect of her status. The wind did not blow, and the land encompassed them in a dead silence, as if everything was waiting for the information that was bothering the priestess.
Midoriko regarded the monks with her head held high and the look of pure serenity, even though her emotions were otherwise. She was not allowed to put her feelings before her duty and responsibility. It was the way of a priestess. "I have spoken with the Fates about this new prophecy and they have told me all there was to tell."
"Then this will be a prophecy proven true," Monk Kiyoshi stated, even though it was meant as a question. All the monks looked up towards their priestess and waited for the explanation, even though something told them it was not going to be good.
Midoriko nodded, her hair spilling out in front of her, covering her heart from prying eyes. "I have listened with unwilling ears and endured the information with a cold heart, and now I am weary at what I must face." There was a moment of silence as the monks realized how dire the situation was and how terrible it was for Midoriko. It could only mean something bad for her daughter. Midoriko sighed and began to tell the monks everything that the Fates explained to her rather strictly and to the point, without missing any detail or without any care as to what it might cause for her daughter or her family. The Fates just seemed to not care about what they were doing, or about who they were hurting. The future was something that they had to take care of, and now, it was taken care of with the luxury of someone else's life into play.
"This is…"
"Cruel," Monk Arata filled in for Monk Kiyoshi, his voice strict and angry. "This isn't right." He just couldn't believe what the Fates were doing to this child. Kagome was so pure, so very beautiful inside and out, and he loved her so much, loved her as a daughter, or so as a sister. However, what the Fates said and did was law. They could do nothing but abide by it.
Monk Kenshin nodded his agreement, his black eyes emotionless, centering himself so his overwhelmed emotions wouldn't surface and cause turmoil. All of them were trained for this. However, in a situation with their priestess, they could show their emotions and fight for her happiness. "I agree, Brother, but there is nothing that we can do and you know it. What the Fates say is law. We could not prevent this unfortunate death of our young sister and we will not be able to prevent this unfortunate death from happening."
Monk Nobu nodded, his eyes remaining close, sealing his blind vision from sight. "I know that it is hard to accept, but like our young lady's prophecy, we have to accept this one as well."
"I just don't see how that can be done," Monk Minoru said, his hazel eyes soft and caring, the only one showing his emotions. "I know that we have to… but no one said that we had to accept this one. It just came up out of nowhere. And we all know that our young lady is not wanting for it to happen, right?" he asked, looking towards Midoriko for the confirmation.
Midoriko nodded her head, her eyes regarding all of the monks as they discussed and tried to come to terms with the new prophecy. "Kagome is definitely not wanting for it to happen, so I believe in her on trying to prevent it. She is too young as well and I don't think that it should be something she is thinking about at this time, especially with the war brewing so closely. Our minds are glued on this grueling task and it'll be just our luck if it were to come true."
"But it will," Monk Kiyoshi said. "I know it will, my lady. We can do no other but help Lady Kagome with this."
Midoriko nodded her head while the others remained silent and listened to their superiors. They could do no other but accept the unaccepted. It was the way of life, the way of living through unfaithful circumstances. Midoriko sighed, her demeanor not changing, although her eyes did show her inner struggle as they softened and watered for a moment. Midoriko blinked and looked at Monk Kiyoshi.
"I will not let the death happen. I will stop it with all of my power. There is only one reason why the Fates would want to kill for Kagome because they believe that it would be the tie for Kagome to remain in this world."
"You do not believe that Inuyasha would be the tie that she needs?" Monk Kiyoshi asked, surprised that Inuyasha's relationship with the lady would not be as hard to break as he thought it was.
Midoriko shook her head with a smile. "Their love for each other is definitely strong and Kagome is trying her best to get him to let her go. In time, he will find out that he cannot stop her death, but it is time that will tell. As for the new prophecy, the new life will not die." Midoriko looked off into the distance as the never-ending greenery of the Maboroshi Kokudo. She smiled off into the distance, her mind made up but her heart still broken for having to do such a thing. "I will try to prevent all of this from happening. Kagome knows that she is forbidden. However, like breaking one law with the other, she could probably break this one too, since the Fates allowed the other to happen. I will help her through it, but I will not let the death happen," she said, her eyes stern on the landscape as she made up her mind.
-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-
Now that this new prophecy is made, I cannot begin to explain how many new, unexpected events that might happen from this. A prophecy was something never to take lightly. And as for me… well, it was all about me and I had nowhere to hide from the words of the future. I believe, now that I have found out what the Fates meant, that the Fates were truly evil in their decision of my future. I was willing to die with no objections and yet they had to throw in another obstacle that would soon prove to be my undoing. Nevertheless, I did love him and I know that I would have wanted to stay with him either way. He was my world and I was his, we would have never wanted for one another to leave without taking the other with them. However, I would have had to tell him to stay alive. If not for me… then for the band.
Mayonaka was making a name for themselves. Soon, I was expecting screaming fans going up to each of the boys' homes and asking for autographs. I am quite sure that at school, the kids would have been just as rowdy and excited about the boys as anyone else would. It was a matter of time before the boys were making it big on every page in every magazine and coming out with their albums. With prom around the corner and Culture Day coming at the end of the year, I am quite sure that we were in for a treat.
You know… being on court was a great experience. When I had found out, I was terribly shocked and speechless. For one thing, I thought about the attention that being queen would cause. Also, I thought about the thrill that I would have to be in the spotlight. It was such a rush to be in that spotlight that I thought I would love to do it, to experience it for once, for I knew my time was ending. However, good things come to an end. I cannot say that I was happy at the end of my junior year. Culture Day would come around the corner after prom and I would feel so relieved to have junior year over and done with. However… who would have thought that I would be faced with this.
Life goes on with new twists…
I'm so excited for those three! I can't believe that this is happening and now I'm gonna have to think of some things to throw their way. But I know that it'll be good. As for the ending... well I know it's a new twist but there's more surprises. Trust me! Tell me what you thought!
-Kaleialohalani
