AN: I realized this morning (Wed 4/18/18) that I hadn't mentioned that Kirara was with them as she wouldn't leave Kagome… my bad… I did add her in this chapter though… though Kirara is basically always with her of with Shippo...
I did some research on a few things that I want to bring to light in this chapter… I hope I didn't mess up to much… Feudal Japan was not a nice place for woman.
Chapter 50
It was late when they finally arrived back at the palace and it was in an uproar. One of the outer buildings, that housed the servants of the palace was ablaze, while servants, guards and part of the army were rushing around with buckets of water, as well as any that had the ability to use water, were trying to contain the blaze to the two story structure.
They saw InuYasha, Sango and Miroku all helping to contain the blaze, they even saw Rin, Kohaku and their children trying to help as well, while Touga was directing everyone where to go and what to do. The nobles and upper youkai just stood by watching the happenings.
Kagome noticed that their were injured individuals that were seemingly being ignored. Upon landing Kagome, the kits, Saito and Kirara rushed over to the injured, while Sesshomaru went to talk to his father.
"What happened?" Sesshomaru demanded upon reaching his father.
"I am unsure. The fire broke out shortly after sunset and as of yet it is still not contained. Though from what we can guess the fire broke out in the area that housed InuYasha's mate. We haven't been able to find her as of yet. It is possible that she perished in the blaze." Touga informed his eldest.
"What else has occurred during my absence?" Sesshomaru questioned.
"I will explain later, once privacy can be assured." Touga stated, a scowl on his face. "Was your trip beneficial?" Touga asked, not wanting to ask outright what occurred, knowing it was not safe to discuss certain things in the presence of so many ears.
"Hn." Was the only reply Sesshomaru was willing to give at this point in time. It would be best to discuss things in a more secured location.
Just as was about to ask another question, they heard the annoying voice of a female. They couldn't detect her scent, due to the acrid stench of burning wood and other things.
"Oh! Lord Sesshomaru, I was so scared. I am so glad that you are here to protect us and save us." Akemi whined, tears streaming down her smeared painted her face, as she threw herself at Sesshomaru wrapping her arms around him, smearing her running face paints onto his armor, thankfully it covered his haori. He was surprised and disappointed that she didn't impale herself on the spikes of his armor.
Akemi sneered at smelling the miko's scent all over him. She had watched as they landed and how close the miko wench was to her Sesshomaru. She couldn't wait until the challenges and prove to her male how strong she was.
Now that her father was here, he would force Sesshomaru into mating her. Not once did cross her mind that her father, had neither the power, nor strength to force Sesshomaru's hand.
Sesshomaru's nose wrinkled in disgust at the scent of the female right under his nose. "Remove yourself from this one's person, before this one removes you, wench." He growled, his disgust obvious to all.
"It is your duty to comfort your intended, is it not." Growled his mother, from behind him. The simpering girl really did need lessons, but she could work with what the bitch was attempting.
Sesshomaru was pissed. Forcibly removing the wench from his person and pushing her away from him, he watched gratified as she stumbled, but was disappointed when she didn't fall on her ass, before he sent a glare towards his mother. "She is not now, nor ever going to be my intended, mother. She is unfit and should be working in a brothel, she is not even suited to be a concubine." He growled out. Though truth be told he wouldn't have concubines. To him they were appalling, only humans and some youkai took concubines, like the horse youkai or felines.
"Sesshomaru!" His mother screeched.
"Enough. This One is tired of you not remembering your station, mother. You may be head of your clan, but I am Lord of these Lands. Thus far you have acted out of your place, along with your pet whore. Upon father's death more than two hundred and fifty years have past where you have been taking more control than you should. It is now time to act your proper place within my household." He was fuming and it was about time he laid down the law. "I will allow your pet her challenge to prove many points, but foremost is that I have chosen, as has my beast. Your pet has as of yet refused to acted her station or as a proper lady should, therefore disqualifying herself as a proper mate to one such as myself."
"Lord Sesshomaru! How dare you speak of my daughter in such a manner." The minor lord yelled in outrage.
Sesshomaru turned towards the male, the disgust in his amber orbs was enough to make the male step back.
"It is obvious that you know not what your daughter has done. This Sesshomaru shall enlighten you. Less than mere seven days ago, your daughter appeared at a family dinner dressed as a whore in all aspects, not even in proper attire for the bedchamber, as she showed all her assets, to those present. If you do not believe this one, than it is not my concern. She has also attacked both physically and verbally an honored guest within this one's home. She has been actively attempting to seduce my person, as any whore would. She has yelled and has spoken out of turn and disrespectfully, toward this one as well as others. On top of that, the marriage arrangement was done behind this one's back with no knowledge or acceptance, seeing as I am the lord of these lands, my mother has no say in whom I mate." With that Sesshomaru turned and walked away with his father trailing behind him, leaving behind four stunned individuals and gaping spectators at hearing the Lord of West speak so much.
"Mother." Sesshomaru called over his shoulder, he waited until she looked at him. "Make sure your affairs are in order. This one knows that you plan to challenge the Lady Miko." With that he turned continuing on his way to assess the damages to his home, as well as to see if he could assist in putting the flames out.
~TBaM~
She was running as fast as she could. She wanted to stay and watch the palace burn, but she had to follow Asuna's instructions or risk being caught.
She had done as instructed and now InuYasha had the knife hidden within his haori and if he looked at it he would put it back and forget about it, until the most opportune time and kill the wench.
She also used the stone that she was given and threw it against the walls, she was shocked that it actually burned the wall and her futon, the floor and spread quickly in her room.
When she screamed for the guards about the fire, she waited until they entered her room before she ran down the hall making her escape, not even thinking as to why or how the barrier around the room was down. She didn't know how long she would have before she had the entire Western forces on her tail, so she just kept running, without looking back.
She wanted to laugh at the idiots. She was free and now she could work with Asuna to get her revenge on everyone that has spurned her: her mate, his friends, her lovers, the lord of the land and everyone else.
She would have to be careful when being near villages, but she would need supplies. She had to think of how to get them with no money in her pockets. She couldn't tell them who she was, for fear of it getting back to Sesshomaru.
She wasn't good at hunting as she never had to do it before. When she was living, she had a village that did that kind of thing and when she came back after her resurrection, she had no need for food and it was her soul collectors that hunted for the souls that she consumed and when she was changed into into a youkai, InuYasha and his friends did all the hunting for them.
Hell the only thing she was ever really good at was being a miko and she hated it, but now she wished that she was still a miko, so that she could purify the youkai. Yes, they made great lovers, but that was about the only thing of worth she found in them.
~TBaM~
"So, she followed my instructions. Good." She looked around seeing many of the mist creatures that flocked to her. Looking at a mist wolf she smirked.
"You will do nicely. I want you to go, guard the female inu, guide her and protect her. I need her alive… At least for the time being. Now go." The necromancer grinned an evil, sadistic grin. "I have preparations to make."
~TBaM~
Upon landing Kagome rushed over to the wounded. Seeing Akahana and another female guard sitting on the ground coughing hard, but barely getting any breath.
"Smoke inhalation." Kagome murmured to herself. She had seen this before, well a lot of times before. She had also taken note of the burns on their hands and faces. She saw a few others making their way over to her and the injured.
"Shippo get some water and get a small fire going. I need to mix some stuff together for the burns. It looks like we may have more than I can handle, with my powers alone, besides, I will need those to purge the damage to the lungs."
"On it, momma." Shippo said, before running off.
"What can we do Kagome~sama?" Saito asked.
"You and Takara organize the wounded, the worst first, then go from there. It is going to be a long night. I will have Shippo assist me as he has done in the past."
Kneeling next to Akahana, she looked the ookami in the eyes as the others blue eyes water uncontrolled, and the female couldn't seem to stop coughing, her face and hands were burned badly.
Kagome knew right off that the female wolf was in the fire, without having to ask. "Do you trust me." Kagome asked, as she waited for the ookami to answer her. "I can heal your burns and lungs, but you need to trust me and you will need to keep a tight reign on your beast. Your powers will think I am attacking you, but I promise no harm will come to you." Kagome spoke in her normal soft tones.
At the generals nod, Kagome moved behind her and placed her hands gently over the lungs of the wolf and slowly, so as not not startle the youkai or her inner beast, she trickled her powers into the female and felt her stiffen as she took tight control over her inner self.
Kagome leaned forward and whispered into her ear. "Don't fight, relax and trust. I know it is hard, but you should know that I will not harm you. Let me direct your powers to heal the damage."
For her part, Akahana didn't know what to think when the miko started healing her. At first it was a strange sensation, as she felt the miko on a totally different level. She could feel the power that Kagome held at bay. She felt in that moment that if she desired it, Kagome could wipe out the entire youkai population of Nippon.
She could feel her body mending from the inside. Her breathing was coming easier and her face and hands were healing faster than they normally would. She had never been healed by a miko before and didn't think it was possible. She felt almost euphoric at the sensations.
It only took moments for the miko to heal her, but in those few moments she had gained a whole new respect for the small female kneeling behind her.
Kagome had no problems healing the ookami, she also knew that the she wolf couldn't have cubs of her own, she knew how to fix the damage done to her, but she wouldn't until she was given leave to do such. It just wouldn't be proper. For all Kagome knew the wolf didn't want cubs, so she would wait and ask later.
"All done. How do you feel?" Kagome asked.
"Like new." Kagome smiled at the look in the she wolves eyes. If she didn't know better, she would have thought the wolf was high on some drug, but she knew it was just the after effects of her powers.
"The effects should fade shortly." Kagome smiled softly at the general.
"Thank you, Kagome~sama."
"No need, but can you tell me what what happened, while I work on the others."
"Of course." The general said as she gathered her thoughts, as Kagome moved to the next injured person while Shippo heated water, Kagome paused her to give instructions on the powder that she handed to him, along with bandages she pulled from one of her pouches at her waist.
"Saya and I were standing guard at the door, when the female screamed about a fire. When we opened the door, the room was ablaze. It was strange we didn't smell anything, until the door was opened. We went in to try to contain the blaze. Nothing we did could put it out. When we turned to remove the female from the room she was gone. We don't know where she went."
"I see." Kagome said as her thoughts were running. She would need to talk to InuYasha, to see if he could try to pin point Kikyou's direction, but she had a feeling of where she was heading and if she was right, they could be in even more trouble.
She knew they should have taken care of Kikyou before they left, but now it was too late to do much of anything. Hopefully Kikyou wouldn't cause too much trouble, but then again this was Kikyou she was thinking about.
Just as Kagome was working on her fourth patient, a loud explosion rock the grounds as the servants building collapsed in on itself. They could hear Sesshomaru and Touga yelling for everyone to back up.
"AMADEUS!" Akahana screamed, as she bolted towards the burning and crumbling building.
Kagome didn't hesitate, she tackled the wolf to the ground holding her down. Akahana turned red eyes on the miko stopping her from getting to her mate. Kagome couldn't yell, so she did the next best thing, she used her powers to immobilize the wolf and forced herself into the others mind. She hated doing this, but she didn't have a choice.
"Calm down!" Kagome yelled in the others mind.
"MATE HURT!" Akahana roared within Kagome's own mind.
"Calm down! We will save your mate. I promise. You have my word, but I need you to calm down." Kagome said, as calmly as she could. As she also sent a message to Sesshomaru that Amadeus was injured and trapped in the burning rubble.
Once Kagome felt Akahana settle she rose, leaving the wolf immobilized for the time being, it would do no good it release her, until they could retrieve her mate and assess his injuries.
Calling on powers she rarely used, she called to the rains to help them in their time of great need. Who knew how many others were trapped within the building. She knew that she should have done this when they first arrived, but her mind was on the injured in front of herself, not the burning building itself.
She didn't think anyone would be still stuck with a burning building especially youkai, but then again she didn't take into account that they couldn't smell the fire until it was already too late. She just hoped that no one else was hurt.
~TBaM~
Sesshomaru received the message from Kagome, that his oldest and best friend was trapped within the building and was injured. He remembered clearly that this was very similar to the way his own father met his death all those years ago.
He didn't hesitate as he rushed forward looking for the youki signature of his friend, finding it buried under burning rubble, he didn't think as he started throwing burning timbers, roofing tiles, mortar and anything else in his way.
"Sesshomaru!" Touga bellowed, as he watched his eldest rush into the burning debris.
"One of my generals in trapped and injured." Was all he said. He didn't need to say more, before Touga joined him in his search. No one deserved to die this way, after all it was how he had met his end the last time.
They had been throwing and digging in the debris, when the first of the rain started to fall soaking them and everything around them in seconds, but oddly it was only on the still burning section of the building. They both knew that it must be Kagome's doing. When they finally reached the injured general, whom they realized was covering the small form of a child.
Quickly excavating them from the rubble, Touga called a servant over to take the child, while he and Sesshomaru carried the badly injured general towards where the wounded were being tended to, which was where Kagome was.
Until Next Time:
Question: Should Kagome show or tell Miroku what happened? I know a lot of you have been commenting on whether she should tell him or not... I don't think Sango could handle the truth... please let me know as I need the input for the next chapter as Kouga makes his appearance...Thank you :)
