Sorry for the long wait. Hope you enjoy the chapter. Not quite as happy with this chapter as the others, but I haven't figured out how I'd want to change it, so this is what I've got.
Chapter 8: Family Matters
Returning to school felt dream like to me. It had only been two days since the attack, but my mind was preoccupied with the information that the Western pack was still alive and strong. Aldrich had said the Western Hound when threatening me. That must mean Sesshomaru was still alpha. He hadn't died in any of the wars in the last 500 years. It was the best information I had heard in a long time.
"Kagome." I looked up in surprise. The whole class was staring at me.
"Am I boring you?" Mr. Beemer asked.
I flushed in embarrassment. "Sorry, sir."
"If you aren't going to pay attention you might as well leave." He stated.
"Sorry, I'll try harder."
His level gaze checked for sincerity before he returned to his history lecture. Really, it wasn't my fault I had more important things on my mind than life during the Cold War. The class dragged by slowly. It felt like hours before I was finally able to leave the class only to head to another. During our five-minute break a large wave of youki permeated the school. It was a summons; one I could not ignore. I quickly made my way to the back entrance of the school, easily slipping out as throngs of students rushed to their next class. Just beyond the tree line out of sight of the school stood a tall man with bright orange almost yellow hair. His eyes were slate black, and I could see no pupil. The youki he had sent to summon me was under tight control now. He was much more powerful than the youkai I had killed the other day. I approached slowly, having already sent out a reply of reiki to let him know I was coming.
"Priestess." He greeted me curtly.
"Youkai, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"You killed one of ours two days ago, do you deny this?" He spoke like a royal. Voice like silk, standing proudly and demanding respect.
"I do not." His eyes narrowed at my reply but showed no other emotion.
"I attacked in self-defense. He wished to, I believe his exact words were, parade my broken corpse in front of the Western hound's face." I explained coldly. He examined me closer at these words, looking for any falsehoods.
"Who are you, priestess?" He demanded.
"I am Kagome Higurashi of the Western InuYoukai clan. Who am I speaking with?" I felt his youki rise at the information, anger waring with royal decorum.
"This one is Adrian, leader of the Kamikiri clan." He stated. We stood, staring at one another, watching for any hint of attack.
"You are far from your lands, Priestess." He replied icily.
"I am not here as a member of the pack."
"Why are you here? Your Lord stole our lands 300 years ago, why would you travel to the land we were exiled to?" He demanded.
Stole? I questioned in my head. Sesshomaru would not steal lands unprovoked. I bristled silently at the implied slight against my lord.
"I am here to spend time with the humans. I had no intention of trespassing on your lands." I stated sincerely.
"Yet you put up a barrier on our land and killed one of my people."
"Forgive me. I did not know I was trespassing." I bowed shallowly, not trusting Adrian not to attack once my eyes left his.
"Did not know?" He questioned unbelievingly. "You aren't well informed for being part of the western pack. You do not host the western insignia either, how do I know you are telling the truth?" He demanded.
"The Western clan insignia is a crescent moon, led by Sesshomaru son of the great Inu Taisho, Toga."
"That is common knowledge, girl." He spat. I clenched my teeth at his insults. He raised his youki in warning. If I did not prove my place with my pack this would end in battle, one I wasn't sure I could win.
"The only proof I have on me is the fang Lord Sesshomaru gifted me before the last battle against the hanyou Naraku. My clothing with the western insignia is at my house." I replied calmer than I felt.
"A priestess using a fang?" he asked incredulously. I knew I was the only priestess in history who had been gifted a youkai blade and could see Adrian making connections in his head.
"You are the Shikon Priestess who defeated Naraku and then disappeared." Eyes narrowed in disbelief at his own conclusions.
"I am"
"You will prove your claims in combat. Tonight, when the moon is at its highest peak, my men will meet you at the base of the mountains."
"And if I refuse?" I asked.
"Then we will attack you whether you are in human territory or not for the death of Aldrich."
"What's to keep your entire clan from attacking the moment I arrive?" I questioned.
"We are not without honor, Priestess." Adrian hissed. "Our battle will determine your truthfulness. You will fight against one of our warriors to the death. If you win, we will let you go. However, you will not enter our lands again." Adrian ordered.
"I agree to your terms. At the moon's zenith I will arrive and fight one on one as law demands."
Adrian walked away slowly, returning to his clan to prepare for our battle. Once he was out of sight, I allowed myself to worry. I could not refuse his order even if I wanted to. I had killed a clansman on their territory. Provoked or not, they had the right to ask for combat in return for peace. However, their alpha was a daiyoukai. That meant their warriors would be strong. On the bright side, if I survived word would get back to my pack sooner rather than later. I took a steadying breath, calming my nerves and returned to class. I would need to keep up appearances today for Angela and the rest of my family.
The moment 6th period was done, Edward was at the door to my classroom, glaring at me. I groaned. Just great, the mind reader heard what's going on.
"What the hell was that thing?" Edward hissed angrily.
"Not here, Edward." I hissed back.
He grabbed my arm and dragged me out to the parking lot. Once we were there I gave in and burnt his hand slightly to make him let go of me. Alice was there waiting as well, a frown on her face as she glared at me as well.
"Does everyone know what's going on already?" I asked in exasperation.
"I saw you in the mountains, bleeding to death. Do you want to explain what that was about?" Alice whispered, upset.
"Are you insane?" Edward hissed, reading the answer from my mind before I could say a word.
"I have no choice. I go tonight or they attack me here." I responded quickly.
"You're not going alone." Edward stated, glaring daggers.
"Like hell I'm not. You guys don't know anything about Youkai law. If you do anything to anger them, we're all dead." I argued back.
"Then teach us."
"That's not something you can learn in an hour, Edward. It took me a whole year of intensive study and practice to learn everything."
"You can teach us enough not to break their law during your fight." He rebuked.
I mulled it over in my head. I was allowed to bring up to three people to make sure justice had been served. Usually this was reserved for pack members, but that wasn't exactly a law.
"Then three of us will come with you." Edward stated.
"I haven't agreed yet." I responded stubbornly.
"I don't care. You will meet us at our house after dinner or we'll come get you."
"Is he always like this?" I asked Alice incredulously. She smiled tightly, still upset. I growled under my breath.
"Fine, I can get away by 10pm without my family noticing. I have a battle to prepare for." I marched away from Edward's smug countenance.
The moment I got home, I holed myself up in my room creating sutras and meditating. I wrote a letter for my family here and in Tokyo for the Cullens to give them should I die tonight and laid out my battle uniform, digging through my suitcase to grab the youkai bone armor I hadn't worn since I'd returned to the future. I would need every advantage I could get for this. I knew I would be fighting one of their generals. Anything less would be a slaughter. As a general myself, I knew exactly what to expect. I just hoped the Cullen's that came with me would be able to restrain themselves.
Dinner that night was tense. I tried to act normal, laughing as the twins bickered back and forth. My usual smile was more of a grimace though and I had little to add to the conversation. Angela, as usual, noticed my strained behavior and sent me discreet worried looks. I tried harder to relax. I watched TV with the family and listened as Karen played hymns on the piano in the living room. It was relaxing. At quarter to ten I excused myself for bed, hugging each member goodnight.
Angela knocked on my door having followed me up. I smiled at her, telling her to come in.
"What's going on Kagome?" She asked gently.
"Just something I have to do tonight. Don't worry too much." I responded.
She glanced around my room, noticing the armor and outfit on the bed. Her breath caught in her throat. "How dangerous is this?" She asked softly, barely able to speak aloud.
"Hey, its ok." I pulled her into a tight embrace, giving her as much comfort as I could.
"Why won't you tell me anything?" She asked, tears pooling in her eyes.
"I told you before, once you know you can't get away. It's not safe right now, but I promise I'll tell you everything you need to know." I whispered comfortingly in her ear, brushing through her hair with my fingers.
"You promise?"
"Yes. I need to go now, but I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"
"Will I see you tomorrow?" She questioned again, daring me to lie to her.
"I promise, I'll do my best to return tomorrow." I replied, unable to give her empty platitudes. She choked on her breath at my wording, tears finally falling.
"I love you Kagome. You're like a sister to me." She hugged me tighter.
"I love you too Angela." I breathed out, hugging her for another minute before pulling away.
"I have to get ready now. Will you be alright?" I asked worriedly.
Angela nodded her head sadly before going to her own room. I quickly donned my hakama and shirt, tying on my leather stomach protection as well as my arm and leg guards. Finally, I tied my hair in a tight braid, placed my sutras into my inner pocket, and hopped out the window.
The Cullen household was deathly quiet when I arrived. Once again the whole family was present and I was in the spotlight. Emmett was the first to move, grinning widely before jokingly around.
"Figures you wouldn't be able to keep out of trouble for long."
"That does seem to be the pattern with me." I smirked. Already my body was more relaxed. I wondered vaguely if that was from Emmett's welcoming or Jasper's ability to control emotions.
"So, who's decided to come with me?"
"Edward, Jasper, and I will be following you." Carlisle responded seriously.
I frowned at their choices. I understood Carlisle and Edward, however Jasper could cause problems.
"How so?" Edward asked. I rolled my eyes in exasperation. I did not enjoy his ability to read my thoughts.
"How well can you control your ability Jasper?" I questioned instead.
"I am in complete control." He responded courteously.
"If tensions increase during the fight can you keep yourself from interfering in any way?" He gave one sharp nod in confirmation.
"Alright, first rule if you're coming with; do not interfere in any way shape or form. If I'm losing, you have to restrain yourself. This is a one on one fight to the death, if you make even a single move to help me, the rest of the clan will attack. That includes controlling their emotions. The only time you can step in is if more than one person attacks me or if they attack after the death of their champion." I explained. "I don't care if they think about ripping me to pieces or eating me and sending my remains to my lord, you do not attack them, you do not growl or hiss at them. You are only there as spectators and to make sure the law is followed. Usually this would be the job of a pack member, but that's not possible right now."
"Will they attack us after the fight?" Carlisle questioned.
"No, that's forbidden. Also, you are not part of my pack so they shouldn't have a grudge against you. This will get ugly. We will be fighting in a clearing of their choosing. All spectators will have to be far away if they don't want to be harmed by my reiki. That includes you guys. I cannot worry about hurting you if you get too close, however, I have made protective charms for you. It should protect you from my reiki, but don't count on it if you don't have to."
"Anything else we should know?" Jasper asked.
"Yes, don't speak unless addressed directly. I am your spokesperson and will answer any questions about you. If a member of the clan tries to speak to you during the battle do not answer any personal questions. Respond that you are only there to spectate and will leave once the battle has finished. Do not tell them what or who you are. You may tell them that you are not allied to any clan. I trust you to use your own discretion in this matter. You should know they are enemies to my clan, and we should be happy that they are only asking for this one battle and not a full out war against my pack. We will be on their territory and must show them the appropriate level of respect that deserves."
"How does one show this respect?" Carlisle asked curiously.
"Do not look their alpha in the eyes, if you can control your energy, keep it to yourself, even if they push their youki on you. I do not know what that will feel like to you. It is usually fairly uncomfortable and if you don't have enough energy of your own it can be crushing. They will likely test you but will pull back if they notice you are having trouble. When this happens do not react. Again, you should never bare your fangs, hiss, growl, or attack even when provoked. The only time you may do so is if they attack you first. Can you do this?" I questioned harshly.
"Yes, of course. We would never put you in more danger." Carlisle responded.
"If you react aggressively it will not only put me in danger but also your family and could incite war against my pack. If you cannot control yourselves, I will not allow you to follow me."
"We can follow these rules." Edward responded tersely, unhappy with the stipulation but unable to fight it. I nodded in confirmation. "Ok, good. In that case, we leave in an hour. I will be in the backyard meditating until then."
I walked out of the house calmly, sitting on a tree stump and focusing my energy in preparation. It felt like only minutes had passed when Edward, Jasper, and Carlisle walked up behind me.
"Are you ready?" Carlisle asked.
"I could ask the same of you" I gave a small smile over my shoulder.
"I must confess I'm glad you are coming." I spoke quietly. "I wasn't sure if they would follow the law if I had no witnesses." I admitted. Edward hissed lowly in his throat at the confession.
"Hey, none of that." I scolded. He closed his lips and stopped breathing all together at the reminder.
We ran through the forest together. I led them to the designated area and waited for someone to meet with us. It didn't take long for two humanoid youkai to greet us.
"Welcome, priestess of the Inuyoukai clan. We have been expecting you. I am Hasan and this is Koten. We are in Lord Adrain's employ. I see you have brought your witnesses" Hasan stated.
"As is my right. I have come as ordered by your Lord."
"Indeed. Judgement will be passed tonight. Follow us."
We climbed the mountain and went through a youkai barrier. So, this is why I didn't know they lived here. Even I would not notice this barrier unless I knew it existed. I felt the vampire's curiosity and nervousness as we continued. A village stood between two mountains with a European style castle at the mountain's peak. It took us a half hour to reach the castle. Guards lined the hallway and led us to the great hall.
"Welcome, Shikon Priestess." Lord Adrian spoke.
"Thank you, Lord Adrian." I responded, bowing lowly. Adrian's eyes shone with amusement, enjoying my forced respect.
"Who are your companions?"
"These are my eyewitnesses. They have agreed to come in the absence of my own pack members." I stated calmly. Adrian's smirk irritated me. I could tell, even dressed as I was, with the crescent moon proudly resting on my back, that he did not believe my claims.
"You will be fighting against my general, Carrion. He awaits you in the coliseum. We will escort your friends to the stands. Koten, bring the Lady Kagome to her entrance." Lord Adrian ordered. The Cullen's all looked to me, silently asking if this was ok.
"Go with them and remember what I taught you." I whispered before following Koten out of the room. The walk to the coliseum was silent as expected. My heart was beating faster as we entered the tunnel, nerves that I hadn't felt in a long time resurfacing at the overwhelming youki in the air. I was having trouble containing my reiki the closer we got to the battlefield. Luckily, once I entered, I would no longer have to restrain it.
I held my head up proudly as I entered the arena, staring directly at my opponent. He was about 6foot 5 with long red hair braided down his back. His eyes were yellow with slim reptilian pupils. He had a sword strapped to his side and wore traditional green hakama tied at the ankles. He had no armor other than the leather chest piece that fit tightly over his sleeveless tan shirt. I couldn't tell what type of youkai he was, but hoped he wasn't poisonous. We stood, taking in each other's appearance as Lord Adrian spoke to the audience.
"We are here today to seek justice for the death of our brother Aldrich. The Lady Kagome of the Inuyoukai clan will fight against Sir Carrion to the death. Should the Lady Kagome win, she may leave peacefully. No further action will be taken against her."
The crowd hissed and screamed angrily at the proclamation. I saw all three Cullens sitting stock still on the far-left end of the top box where Lord Adrian and his men sat.
"Ready little girl?" Carrion asked maliciously.
"Whenever you are." I responded, unsheathing my blades.
"Those are demonic blades. Maybe you are who you claim to be." Carrion whistled in appreciation. "I always wanted to test myself against the Shikon Priestess." I smirked, moving at extreme speeds as he attacked first. His claws cut through my hair as I dodged. I felt the heat from his fist and smelt burning hair.
"You really think your claws will be enough?" I goaded him. "Why not fight like a warrior?"
"Prove yourself worthy of my blade and maybe I'll humor you." He retorted.
I dodged all of his attacks, analyzing his fighting style. He was fast and his limbs heated like fire. I blocked his punch with my blades, adding reiki to try and burn him. I could see the scorch mark, but he didn't let his pain show. His skin was hard like the dragon clan Inu Taisho and Sesshomaru waged war against a millennium ago.
I narrowed my eyes. "What's a dragon doing fighting for a beetle?" I questioned.
"Figured that out did you, dog bitch?" He replied smiling wickedly. A small frown found its way onto my face. The dragons were known for having thick skin. I would have to use a stronger attack if I wanted to so much as wound him.
I increased my reiki output, letting it pool into my blades. Before I could attack, Carrion was on top of me, punching, kicking, and trying to light me on fire. I grit my teeth as I moved to get under his guard. His claws pierced my shoulder before I could back away fully. Carrion laughed in delight, licking my blood off his hand. As he did so I released my Cross Raid. The reiki burnt his skin, leaving small cuts along his arms. His pleased laughter instantly changed to outrage.
"Bitch" He snapped.
"I won't let you win so easily."
Carrion breathed in sharply. I felt his youki pool quickly into his chest and raised a barrier just fast enough to keep myself from burning to a crisp. His flames burned the same red as his hair. I grunted at the exertion of holding my barrier.
Alright, time to get serious. I thought to myself, creating my bow and readying a sacred arrow to release the moment the fire receded. My arrow made purchase on the right side of his chest. He pulled out the arrow, seething.
"Alright wench. You wanted me to fight seriously, you got it." He hissed, pulling out his blade. I was surprised to find I recognized the energy.
"That's Ryukotsusei's youki." I accused.
"You really are the shikon priestess if you recognize Ryukotsusei's energy. That's right. I made this blade using his corpse after your pack killed my Grandfather." He spat.
"Looks like my pack's not done killing Ryukotsusei's kin." I goaded him. His eyes glowed red as his anger started controlling him. I loosed arrow after arrow at him, but they bounced off his skin with little affect. I grit my teeth in frustration. If I could only use my strongest attacks to hurt him, I would tire quickly. Carrion's youki was growing quickly. Surprise overtook me as he raised his blade above his head, moving it in a circular motion. A tornado of fire appeared above him. When he lowered his blade, the tornado sped toward me, surrounding me and burning everything it touched. I screamed in pain, trying to form a thin wall between my body and the youki infused fire as quickly as possible. My clothing protected me from the worst of it, but black burns still littered my arms, neck, and face. The burns oozed puss and left me fighting to focus on the battle. I quickly back flipped away from his blade, stumbling upon landing. With the space I had gained, I threw three paralyzing sutras at Carrion. Two landed on either shoulder, holding him in place. He struggled, breathing fire as he fought against my reiki. Not wasting any time, I attacked him once again with Cross raid. The pink energy enveloped his form, cutting through his think skin. He roared his pain and anger. I shuddered as I felt his youki skyrocket. When the air cleared a fifteen-foot dragon with red and brown scales was breathing fire at me. His transformation had destroyed my sutras. His chest was bleeding heavily from my previous attack, but that didn't seem to bother him much. His claw swiped at me, impaling the left side of my stomach and throwing me to the far end of the arena. I coughed up blood, sending only a small amount of reiki to the wound to keep me alive. I couldn't afford to use anymore. I jumped far to the right, avoiding a ball of fire. I struggled to breathe through the pain and blood loss. I had to think of something quick or I really would die here. There was no way I'd allow that to happen. I promised Angela, I finally found out my youkai family was still alive. I had friends and allies counting on me. I glared at Carrion, panting heavily as I forced myself to my feet. My blades pulsed in my hand, whispering orders. I let my blades guide my body. I split my bow in two, adding reiki before letting go. Instead of dropping, my blades began to spin. Another fire ball attacked me, but instead of hitting, my blades absorbed the attack. I felt the youki of my blade pulse in sync with my reiki. I slashed both of my arms up from my side toward Carrion, a mixture of burning reiki and poisonous youki spiraled toward Carrion's chest. The attack landed, and I watched in awe as his body convulsed and began tearing itself apart similar to bakusaiga's technique. I fell to my knees, no longer having enough energy to stand as Carrion cursed my existence with his last breath. I used my blades as crutches to keep the upper half of my body from slamming into the ground. Once again, I was coughing up blood. It wouldn't take long for me to bleed out if I couldn't close the worst of my wounds. I tried to send healing reiki to my stomach, but I didn't have enough energy left to control.
No, no, no. I cannot die. I refuse. I finally have something worth fighting for. No way would I die before seeing my son again. I struggled to keep conscious. I felt cold hands grab my arms and pull me up. I was laying in Jaspers arms, Edward grabbing my blades.
"I believe we can leave now?" Carlisle demanded coldly.
"As promised, she is absolved. Do as you please." Lord Adrian replied flippantly.
I barely felt the wind as Jasper ran through the mountain and forest back to their house. He whispered orders for me to stay with him, stay awake and alive.
"I won't…let this…kill…me." I forced out.
I couldn't feel anything by the time we arrived home. I vaguely heard the others' gasps of horror as Jasper brought in my beaten and bloody form. I was set on a bed in Carlisle's study. It had been transformed into what looked like a hospital room.
"How?" I choked out.
"Alice." Jasper responded. I smiled weakly through the pain. My eyesight wavered before going out completely. I could barely hear what was going on around me.
"Kagome, stay with us." I heard Carlisle order. I tried to respond. Tell him of course I'd stay with them, but I couldn't move my mouth. The pain started to recede, I felt nothing, saw nothing, heard nothing. All I knew in that moment was peace. Blackness swallowed me whole. I almost let it take me. Then I remembered my family. Mama, Sōta, Grandpa. Angela, and her family who had been so kind to me. The wolves in La Push and the Cullens. I fought against the blackness as I remembered Sesshomaru and Shippo. I heard Inuyasha's voice yelling at me to fight. That it wasn't my time yet. I screamed as awareness hit me all at once. The pain, the light, every sound was too loud. I writhed on the bed, my whole body felt like it was on fire. It was a pain I'd only felt once before, when Naraku had killed me and the jewel forced my body through time. My voice became horse, my screams, silent pleas to make it stop.
"Carlisle, what's going on?" I heard a female ask.
"I don't know. She was dead for twelve minutes. I didn't think it was possible for something like this to happen." He responded. He sounded tense, like he had been grieving and could barely find his voice. I felt cold hands restrain me. Slowly, the fire rescinded. My breathing calmed as the pain faded. Hesitantly, I opened my eyes, taking in the worried and baffled looks of every member of the Cullen clan.
"Kagome, are you OK?" Esme asked. I focused on my body, carefully moving my limbs, testing my body. The last thing I remembered was killing Carrion and bleeding to death.
"How am I alive?" I questioned, staring at Carlisle for answers.
"I was hoping you could tell us. You were dead, Kagome. Your heart stopped beating for twelve minutes. Then you started screaming and the whole room was covered in a pink light that burned us.
"The jewel." I breathed in realization. It really wouldn't let me die.
"What jewel?" Edward asked in confusion.
"The Shikon jewel. It merged with my body after I destroyed Naraku. It's a powerful artifact that holds four souls. It bonded to my body so we couldn't destroy it." I responded. I stared at the ceiling as I explained what I knew. The jewel had healed me again, but my whole body felt like lead. My reiki was completely depleted and just tensing my muscles felt like too much work.
"How do you feel?" Carlisle asked.
"Like I want to sleep for a millennia." I stated blandly. He chuckled at my response.
"We'll let you sleep then. Let us know when you wake. I want to keep you here until you gain your strength back."
I didn't have the energy to respond. My eyes grew heavy and I gave into my exhaustion.
It took me a full week to heal enough to go back to school. While my physical wounds were gone, I was paralyzed with exhaustion for two days and my reiki was replenishing itself extremely slowly. Carlisle had come up with some kind of disease to pacify the Webbers. He wasn't allowing any of them to visit with the excuse that I was contagious. Angela had called me in tears, making sure I was really ok. I had been able to stay awake all day and walk around the house with little trouble today. Carlisle agreed to let me go home tomorrow if I promised to take it easy. School and home only for at least another week.
Already, I felt the need to go out and release some energy. Being stuck inside sucked. It wasn't easy trying to sneak out of a house full of vamps either. They could hear every time I so much as shifted my weight making it impossible to get out the door before I was herded back to the couch or my bed. It was driving me insane.
"Come on, please! Just a quick walk around the property." I whined as Jasper blocked my exit.
"You still need rest." Jasper responded sternly.
"I'm completely fine. My reiki is back to normal levels, I'm no longer exhausted, and all my physical injuries were healed by the jewel." I explained, trying to convince him to let me leave once again, an argument we had had a few times during the last three days.
"You know we can tell when you're lying, right?" Jasper rose an eyebrow at my pouting face.
"Ok, fine. My reiki isn't completely normal, but I'm well enough to go to for a walk or to school or home." Jasper weighted his options, tasting my emotions.
"Alright, but I'm going with you." He agreed. I gave him a hug as I squealed my thanks. He rolled his eyes at my display before walking out of the house.
The walk was calming. We didn't move any faster than a normal human, but it was still nice to get out of the house. The air was so clean here. Jasper herded me back to the house after a half hour despite my protests.
That evening Carlisle agreed to take me home in the morning. He wanted to speak with my family, not trusting me to follow his health restrictions. I was restless and wanted to go back to life as usual. I now fully understood Inuyasha's griping every time we told him he needed to rest after getting his ass handed to him. It wasn't fun to be on the receiving end.
"Kagome!" Karen exclaimed, tears of relief flowing freely down her face as she hugged me. I held her close, giving her as much comfort as I could. I must have terrified them.
"Are you ok?" She asked, holding me at arm's length to look me over.
"I'm much better Karen. Carlisle said I can go back to school tomorrow." I explained happily.
"With a few restrictions." Carlisle reminded me. I grimaced at his stern tone. He obviously wasn't too thrilled with my inability to sit still even when injured.
"Would you like to come in? We can talk further in the living room." Mark invited Carlisle in warmly, having given me a quick but sincere hug once his wife let me go.
"That would be great." Carlisle responded. I took a seat on the couch with Mark and Karen while Carlisle sat across from us in the love seat.
"How is she, Carlisle?" Mark asked worriedly.
"She has healed well, but her energy is still low. She can go to school tomorrow but should not do anything else. If she becomes too tired, she'll have to go home. I'll have my children look out for her. We've noticed she likes to hide when she starts having trouble." He explained, giving me a small glare at the last part. I gave him a sheepish grin in reply. It wasn't my fault I learned the tough guy act from living with youkai.
"Thank you for taking care of her." Mark said appreciatively.
"I was happy to do so." Carlisle waved him off. "She should be back to full health by the end of the week as long as she paces herself. Don't let her go for a run or do any training. She doesn't understand her limits right now." Carlisle continued. I groaned at his orders. They wouldn't let me out of their sights now.
"You need to take care of yourself Kagome. I don't know what we'd do if we lost you." Karen said, upset at my complaints.
"I'm sorry, Karen." I apologized quietly. I wasn't used to being forced to heal 100% before being thrown into another battle. We just didn't have that luxury in the past. If you were healed enough to not bleed out on the battlefield, you were sent back into the fray. This waiting and healing was new to me and I didn't know how to fill my extra time.
That night, Angela slept in my room with me. She had cried in my arms when she got home and had refused to leave my side since. I gladly held her and gave her comfort. I had promised to see her after the battle and was unable to fulfill that promise.
The entire week was tiring for me. Angela, Bella, and the Cullens kept a close eye on me and I was seriously ready to knock some heads together if it meant freedom. I finally snapped on Thursday.
"Will you just leave me alone!" I growled at Edward and Jasper at the lunch table. Who knew vampires could be such mother hens? I could feel Jasper try to affect my emotions, but I had put up a thin barrier around my skin to keep out his influence. I had no wish to be forcibly calmed. I wanted to yell, rant, and punch my way out of their protective bubble. Between each class I'd have an escort. They constantly checked on how I was feeling and had indeed forced me home two hours early on Monday when it looked like I was tiring.
I angrily got to my feet and tried to stomp out of the cafeteria. Edward had grabbed my wrist the moment the thought of running out flit through my mind. I burned him with my reiki worse than I meant to in my anger and walked away as soon as he dropped my wrist in pain.
"Kagome, you're not off restriction yet." Jasper reminded me, blocking my exit with his body.
"I'm not going to overdo it. I just need some fresh air away from everyone." I whispered harshly.
"Kagome, please. Just wait a couple more days." Angela begged me as she walked up next to Japer. A first for her. She had gotten more comfortable with the Cullens this past week, but was still a little wary of them, though she didn't understand why.
I glared at all my overprotective friends, giving a frustrated sigh as I gave in. I didn't want to, nor could I currently fight all of them to gain my freedom. This was almost as bad as being stuck in the castle during our weeklong political meetings. I saw Edward's lips raise in a quick smile at my thoughts before I literally shocked the smirk off his face. I smirked as he gave a soft yelp.
"Hey now, none of that. Let's just get along alright?" Alice chastised the both of us. I pouted but nodded in agreement.
Angela walked with me to my next class making small talk all the way. One good thing had come from my mandatory bed rest this week; Angela and I had been able to spend almost everyday together. At night I'd tell her stories about my time in the past. I told her about Shippo's pranks on Inuyasha and how Sango and Miroku got together. It was nice to talk about the good times we had together. I told her how Rin actually got Sesshomaru to wear a flower crown and how hard it was for Sesshomaru to let Rin marry when she was old enough.
The day after I had been allowed home Angela had demanded I explain what happened, damn the consequences. I remembered that night fondly.
My door slammed open and shut as Angela stormed in with righteous fury.
"You're going to tell me exactly what happened to you." Her angry gaze held mine, refusing to back down.
"Angela, I…"
"I don't care, Kagome! I need to know what happened. What if this happens again and I don't know how to help or…or you….die." She swallowed as her voice choked on the last word.
I searched her gaze, looking for any hesitation. She showed none. There was strong conviction in her gaze, she would not leave my room until I told her what she wanted to know.
"Ok." I breathed out, patting the bed next to me, encouraging her to sit next to me.
"You know I'm a priestess and that I have some powers." She nodded. "These powers are most often used to fight against youkai." I explained.
"Youkai?"
"There isn't a good English translation. Some call them demons, others spirits. They are beings that are heavily tied to nature. Most are tied to animals. It's where many of the stories about dragons, phoenixes, and other mystical creatures come from. They aren't evil, but they aren't human so many humans fear them."
"You were fighting a youkai?" She asked quietly.
"Yes. I am allied to a youkai clan, one that has enemies nearby. I killed one of them when he attacked me. That was when the guys in La Push found me passed out. I angered his clan and unknowingly broke the law when I entered their territory. As such, they demanded retribution. Demon law is very different from human law. I fought one of their generals to end the feud I had created." I explained carefully.
"I don't understand. How does fighting someone fix the problem you created by killing one of their people?" Angela questioned.
"It was a trial by combat. In simple terms, if I lived, I would be absolved of all crimes." Her breath caught.
"Isn't trial by combat usually to the death?" She asked, eyes begging me to say it wasn't so. I gave her a sad smile and nodded my head. Tears pooled in her eyes as she took in the information.
"You could have died." She whimpered.
"Yes. Angela, you can't tell anyone about this. I'm part of a different world than everyone else here. The supernatural world isn't as kind as the human one. I don't want you any more involved than you have to be."
"How are the Cullen's involved? And the guys in La Push?" Her voice was quivering as she took in everything I had told her.
"Like me, they are part of the supernatural world." I explained.
"They aren't human, are they?"
"In a matter of speaking. That is their secret to tell though." I stopped her line of questioning.
"Alright." She breathed out, steadying herself.
"Alright, what?"
Alright, I won't ask anymore. But Kagome, promise me you'll tell me when you're in danger." She pleaded.
"I will. I promise, I won't leave you like that again." I hugged her and we spent the rest of the night talking about my time in the past. After everything she had seen and heard she was far more surprised that I had a son than by the fact that I had traveled through time. We laughed and enjoyed our time together as I recuperated.