AN: I know what you'll be thinking while reading this chapter, and - why yes, I have seen Outlander too. Have some flavours of it in Ireland.
Chapter Six
Low-hanging branches caught at her hair and dress. Kagome yelped as they snagged, ripping herself free despite the cost of a few dark strands.
She ran madly, not stopping to glance behind her once. She ran until her lungs contrasted, demanding she stop to catch her breath.
Grasping a thin tree's trunk, Kagome hunched over slightly, panting hard while her legs ached. Dirt caked her feet and legs.
But she needed to keep moving- if she didn't leave the woods, Kagome knew she hadn't escaped him yet.
If I even can, she placed a hand over her abdomen.
Shaking herself, Kagome pushed on.
Moonlight managed to reach her through gaps in the branches, filtering in with soft hues as darkness pressed in close.
However, the most bizarre thing happened as Kagome kept moving. Between one moment and the next- with thorns catching in her skirts and the moon illuminating still, watchful trees- sunlight abruptly burst in.
It hit Kagome's eyes so quick she stumbled, having to close them. Birds started chirping all at once, sounds and life replacing the eerie stillness of the woods at night.
Glancing around with bewilderment, Kagome blinked. It was like she'd stepped out of nighttime and into daylight. Bizarre.
Looking behind her, she reached out gingerly, seeing nothing but brightened leaves and an ordinary forest. But something flirted against her fingertips. A thin kind of energy. If she just grasped it, Kagome felt like she could lift the illusion away like a gossamer veil.
Turning, she left it behind. Let the Fae keep themselves hidden, she had no intention of seeing them again.
Continuing to run, her spirits lifted the second bright, unending green could be seen beyond the trees.
Sprinting at full speed through the border of the trees, Kagome's huge grin slipped, then fell slowly.
...What?
Small houses could be seen in the distance, overgrown grass and rolling hills closing in around the little village. However...it looked nothing like the ones she'd seen while being driven to different places in Ireland. There were no concrete roads here, just dirt paths. Smoke was rising from a few of their chimneys. Most of them had livestock- chickens roaming freely. Horses were tied up outside.
Something was very wrong.
Adjusting her dress and trying her best to preserve her modesty, Kagome approached.
The locals immediately tipped her off to the fact that all was definitely not well and normal. They wore old-fashioned clothing, thick dresses for the women, and robes for the men, some with variations, their hemline stopping at their knees or ankles. They eyed her like she was something dangerous, some men grabbing weapons on hand.
"Hello- uh, I-I was wondering if I could maybe grab some clothes? If you have some spare?" Kagome said awkwardly in English.
A woman murmured to a man, suspicion in her eyes. They spoke in a language Kagome couldn't understand- Gaeilge, she figured.
One man with a thick wooly shawl over his shoulders and a bushy beard paused in his work, setting down a barrel and using English. "...Are ya Síobhra? Fae?"
"N-no!" Kagome raised her hands, before quickly covering herself, feeling damn naked.
"Hm, don't look like no Sasanach. Are ya a Scouser, or a Sawney's girl?"
"I-I'm from Japan- it's a country far away from here."
"Affiliated with the English?"
Kagome could tell the desired answer. "Nope! Not at all."
He grunted, slipping off his shawl and tossing it to her. "Speak it well, for someone who ain't. My wife will sort you."
Kagome wasn't sure what was going on but thanked him anyway, wrapping it around herself. Taking a cursory look about their village as he led her through it, she hazarded a guess that they weren't the most thriving people. The children were skinny and wore ill-fitting clothing, gawking at her.
"Fair folk!" and "witch!" and other such names followed her footsteps.
Lonán introduced Kagome to his wife, Aurnia- who had about eight children running about their home or platting her hair. He spoke to her lowly in their language before leaving unceremoniously, causing Kagome to look around owlishly.
Aurnia stood, eyeing her sceptically, gaze straying to the marks on Kagome's stomach- which the young woman quickly tried to shield with her shawl.
"My husband says you're in need of new clothes."
"Uh...yes please," she winced.
To her gratitude, a simple dress was provided, along with thin, flat shoes. It was obvious their house had no running water, so Kagome washed her legs in a nearby stream outback while Aurnia continually watched her.
"Satisfied now? Or do ya need food too? We don't want no trouble from your 'people.'"
This gave Kagome pause, who straightened. She was starving. "I-I am hungry, but I'm ready and willing to do some work around here to pay you back before I leave."
"We don't want no payment from the likes of Fae- or are ya only a Bride?"
"I guess I'd be classed as a bride...but how did you know?"
"You're queer lookin' and have those marks. Ain't hard to tell. You headin' back to their realm after this?"
"No...I need to figure out how to get home," Kagome winced. It probably wouldn't be smart to mention time travel. "Is there an Abby near here? With a blackthorn tree and a forest beside it? I need to get back there."
"I'll draw you a map if it means you and yours leavin' my village alone."
Kagome nodded slowly, brows drawing together. She sensed Aurnia's tension and hostility came from fear, not hatred. From what little Kagome knew of Irish history, that likely stemmed from the English's ill-treatment.
After a hot meal consisting of stewed nettles and rose hips, Kagome tried to make good on her word and help with chores- but the people wanted little to do with her. She told Aurnia to keep the gossamer dress, hoping she could at least sell it.
After accepting a map, Kagome exhaustedly walked away from the village. She hadn't slept in what felt like forever, but she hadn't wanted to linger. They seemed about ready to call a witch hunt on her once the 'Fae' idea wore off.
Nonetheless, this did not help her state of exhaustion, and after reaching the safety of some trees opposite the woods where Sesshoumaru resided, Kagome reclined against a sturdy oak. Settling down, she wrapped Lonán's shawl around her, finding it smelled a little fusty. Closing tired blue eyes, she reeled from the situation.
Where the hell was she? When was she?
Could the Fae time-travel or did breaking free from their world without permission have strange repercussions that had transported her backwards?
Kagome fell asleep with these troubling thoughts at the forefront of her mind.
The sound of shuffling through long grass roused her from sleep. Daylight still reigned, but she estimated from the position of the sun that she'd managed to snag a few hours.
Stifling a yawn, Kagome carefully glanced around, moving into a crouch.
A woman could be seen- walking from within the forest and down the hill, wandering back towards the village. Tears clung to her pale cheeks.
Blinking, Kagome stood, wondering what had happened.
The sound of a baby crying wailed through the trees, their branches softly swaying. Turning in the sound's direction, blue eyes widened. Her heart automatically clenched, instincts urging her to move without thinking.
Ripping greenery aside and leaping over bushes, Kagome jogged towards the source. She slipped down a riverbank and crossed over, hurrying onwards- where she halted.
A wooden cot had been left in the woods. From the aged look of it, she guessed it had been there for some time. A new addition to the forest, however, was a crying infant.
The Fae King had beaten her to it.
He leaned over the cot, long-fingered hands reaching down and picking up the babe- who only screamed louder.
"What are you doing?" Kagome demanded, hurrying to his side. "W-what's going on? Was that their mother?"
"Shhh..." golden eyes remained intent on the infant, ignoring her. He set the child down, tilting his head while silver hair hung forward like an exquisite curtain.
Kagome inspected the child, biting her lip. "...oh."
She wasn't sure what the medical term was that affected their limbs- but Sesshoumaru voiced it easily. "Rickets. Easily dealt with," he uttered softly, hovering a hand over the cot and gliding downwards. Green scales burst to life on the baby's skin, covering them from head to toe. The baby fell quiet as their soft skull became covered, only their blue eyes remaining the same as their head resembled a pine-cone. They looked like a strange dragon-halfling.
Pale hands reached again, Sesshoumaru picking them up. The baby wriggled, kicking their legs. They made small grunts and excited noises, cooing.
Kagome's eyes widened as the Fae King cradled them, crooning gently in response.
He'd given them relief from pain.
Despite everything that had happened, and the context of their relationship- Kagome was not immune to the sight of him carefully cradling a baby he'd just helped, even if it was by unconventional means. Her shoulders relaxed slightly.
"This is what you meant by 'granting the children's wishes' during that play," Kagome murmured, gaining his attention. "Why does it seem like their mother just abandoned them?"
"Because that is exactly what happened," he drawled, walking away with the child cradled in one arm. "They call them 'changeling children,' and accuse the Fae of swapping human babies with Fae. It gives them an excuse to exclude, or commit infanticide in times of famine or hardship."
"That's awful," she breathed, brows drawing together as she followed. "So...you do this a lot, I take it."
"Depending on the time period I find myself wandering through."
That broke Kagome out of her gooey spell, stiffening. "Ah! That's right! Where the hell are we? Send me back to my time!- please."
Sesshoumaru looked at her, smiling with raised brows. "Now, now. This one noticed you gained a map during your travels, dear one. I am certain you do not need my help-" he drew in close, "but perhaps I can do it, in exchange for your name."
"On second thought, never mind," Kagome grumbled, lips tugging up at the corners as the baby kicked, gurgling and playing with his hair. She stilled as they were offered to her- but gently accepted, rocking them slightly.
Blue eyes warmed as she gazed down at them, not really caring about their unusual scales or appearance. "So cute," she cooed, heart-melting like honey. Sadness pulsed inside her soon after, seeping deep into her bones. "You helped them," she said, glancing at the Fae King as he tipped his head, the crown of blackthorns nestled upon silver hair. The antlers were a night-time addition, she assumed. "From that, I know you're not a monster. There's nothing to be gained from caring for babies- they're not old enough to offer anything in return."
"Warming up to me, dear one?"
"No, I'm just...confused. Can't you understand that trying to force me into being your bride won't get any results?"
"I would like to offer you a gift to inspire affection as humans do, but cannot think of anything as of yet," he seemed briefly thoughtful, glancing at the child. "Want a baby?"
"Don't gift babies to people," Kagome sighed, too tired to be scandalised. The Fae just didn't view things in the same way as humans.
Hell, this was probably the first decent conversation they'd had since meeting. She lifted a hand to let the baby hold one slim finger, wriggling it slightly.
A hand found her waist, Sesshoumaru's lips caressing the back of her ear. "You look good, holding one. You have all the right instincts too."
Kagome shivered, drawing away a little. "The people in that village knew I'd been marked by a Fae because of those stripes on me. Tell me straight, Sesshoumaru; are they there...because I'm carrying your kid?"
His hand dragged, smoothing in between the folds of the shawl to settle an achingly wonderful palm against her abdomen. Kagome stifled a noise, feeling her body tingle, flaring alive like he'd lit a hidden candle inside her.
"I do not know," he admittedly plainly, fierce eyes searching her face. "If you are, will you attempt to rid yourself of them, just as that mother did with her child?"
"No," she said firmly, bristling at the thought. Blue eyes flashed. "I'd fight you tooth and nail for them."
This only seemed to please him, as he smiled outright, kissing her cheek. "All the right instincts..." he said softly.
Blushing and shivering slightly, Kagome's lashes slid shut for just a moment. Indulging in him was surely terrible, considering the circumstances, but while he'd frightened her, those lips peppering her neck could be so soothing on frayed nerves.
A flash of memory had her stepping away again, growing tense.
Sesshoumaru let out a soft hiss, molten gaze narrowing. "You feel this too, dear one."
"I slept with you once before so that's a fair assessment," Kagome admitted her attraction freely, passing the slumbering baby back to him and pulling out her map. "But you also know why I'm resisting."
"No, I do not. I understand your surface-level reasoning- but there is something else. A buried fear in your heart that unearths whenever we kiss. You said before that you refused to be used as 'entertainment' again. Those are strange words, are they not?"
Kagome grew cold, beginning to walk away. "That's none of your business."
To her surprise, Sesshoumaru allowed her to leave, perhaps intending to return the baby back to his kind before pursuing. Kagome kept walking, a heaviness in her bearing. Things she'd tried to forget rose up, stifling her drive to sprint back to the Abby where she hoped something could take her home.
The memory was always lurking, waiting to claim her at the most inopportune time or slip out with her words when she wasn't expecting it.
The heaven's opened while Kagome was walking, circling around the huge Fae forest without entering in order to find the Abby.
Quickly taking shelter within a small cave at the bottom of a rolling hill, Kagome ducked beneath hanging tree roots, able to stand within the structure. Sighing, she removed her damp shawl, shaking it roughly.
Her breath fanned out, visible as the sound of a horn went off in the distance.
People must be hunting, she thought, patting her wet hair.
Something pale entered her peripheral vision, and Kagome turned- only to start as Sesshoumaru casually stood beneath the cave, gazing out at overcast skies.
"Why are you here again?" she groaned.
"I am taking shelter from the rain, same as you," he glanced at her, faint plumes of air curling visibly from his mouth as he exhaled. Kagome stiffened at the sight. It felt strange, seeing evidence that in same ways, he was affected by things just like a mortal. He could bleed too. "Or are you so selfish that you wish to have this cave all to yourself?"
"That's not it and you know it. Mighty convenient you chose this one to settle under," she muttered, folding the shawl over one arm and sighing.
Blue eyes stayed over puddles, taking in falling raindrops. Everything looked awash with grey tones. The rain always made her sentimental, maybe that was why she started talking.
"I don't understand why you'd want me. I'm not...pure," she said quietly, wincing. She hugged her arms close to her chest. "You wanted to know why I get afraid? Why I'm scared to indulge too deep. I'll tell you, but you'll probably be disillusioned with this whole ideal Fae bride thing."
Sesshoumaru stepped closer, and she could feel the air change with his proximity, humming with energy. "I am listening."
Kagome released a long breath, bone-weary. This was probably a terrible idea but the words flowed free like he'd put her under a truth serum. She felt tired of holding it in. "When I was younger, my boyfriend and I- well, we had sex. I didn't realise he was recording the whole thing until after he'd finished...a-and I'd been tied up during it. So I just sort of...lay there, unable to escape my binds. Spread-out, crying. Covered in...him."
She gave a soft, jaded chuckle. "The thing is- everyone who found out about it reacted like I was a whore. I think it was the ropes," she smirked. "Or the gag. Or the flogging marks. Anyway, I've tried to repress that part of me ever since. The part that...enjoys that stuff, or pleasure. Enjoys giving it back too."
Steady fingertips found her chin, turning it slightly to face him. Half-lidded eyes burned with the ferocity of the morning sun, stealing her breath. "No wholly pure being could ever ensnare something as dark as I. Such a person would only be a novelty. A passing fancy. What endures...what lasts in the heart of Fae, is a keen mind. The type that can play, assess, be kind, cruel, and tempting. This one desires you regardless, foolish one. You are not sullied."
Emotion burst inside her chest, and Kagome closed her eyes. She wished someone- anyone else had told her such things. Just one person besides the Fae trying to steal her. Her heart ached keenly.
"And since you are not completely good nor innocent...I offer a deal," he said coaxingly.
Her guard immediately rose, but Sesshoumaru lifted a hand placatingly. "It does not require very much. All you need to do...is give me his name."
"Huh? But that wouldn't do anything? It's his name to give."
"True, I would not own him. This one would have no power over his soul. However, he has insulted one of the Fae- or at least, my bride," Sesshoumaru purred, gliding bone-white knuckles over her cheek in a wonderfully soft caress. "And that has very dangerous ramifications. Motivation for revenge. Give him to me, dear one. I will make him suffer, just as he made you suffer. Call it a wedding gift."
"You don't want anything in return?" Kagome arched a brow, finding that hard to believe. Wasn't that the point of a deal?
"Nothing that you are not prepared to give," searing golden eyes slid down her body, making it flare alive as though experiencing a physical caress.
Pressing her thighs together as her core tightened, blue eyes searched his painfully flawless features. "He's hundreds of years away."
He scoffed, "easily dealt with."
So he could time travel with ease.
Kagome glanced away, hands curling into fists. It was alarming she was even considering it- but that night had affected the rest of her life, even in the smallest of ways.
Eri, Yuka and Ayumi had approached her because they'd been curious after seeing the footage. Everyone had seen it at school after it had been uploaded onto several websites. They'd wanted answers to pass around, but had strangely allowed her to stay within their friendship circle, even after the novelty wore off. Yuka and Eri liked receiving attention and Kagome's reputation was a good way to get it without gaining any subsequent backlash.
Kagome had gotten plenty. 'Whore' and other titles followed her wherever she went- branding her school locker or the well-house of her family shrine. Teachers and family had to be involved. Her boyfriend managed to get away with everything by deflecting attention to another male student, who was an infamous skirt-chaser. He claimed Kagome had actually slept with this student, and the evidence seemed damning when both boy's houses were searched and only one of them was found with pornography, sex toys and scandalous tapes.
The skirt-chaser had been expelled. Kagome received punishment for staining the school's reputation. Her ex-boyfriend merrily continued about his business, pleased his influential father could pull strings. She'd heard a rumour that a few other girls had suffered similar fates at his hands, years down the line.
A long-buried resentment darkened angry blue eyes.
It hadn't been fair. None of it.
Sesshoumaru presented an opportunity. The type unavailable to her past 16-year-old self. There were some strings she could pull too.
Maybe it was a little late. Nine years too late, but the sting hadn't gone away. She feared it never would. Shouldn't he receive some damn consequences?
Kagome noticed his offered hand; fingers long, clawed and waiting.
She grasped it tight and shook, looking into his eyes. "I give you Arata Nakamura in exchange for a kiss."
He smiled almost indulgently, exposing sharp white teeth. Inhuman fingers wrapped around her hand, clasping firmly like a boa constrictor. He then tugged- sending Kagome stumbling against him.
"This will not take long. Wait for me," he purred hotly against her ear, as though aroused by her revenge- releasing her abruptly to step outside under the downpour, gliding around the side of a tree- disappearing from sight. Kagome blinked, following him around it and finding nothing there.
Frowning, she touched her tingling hand thoughtlessly, only to gasp.
Twin magenta stripes branded her wrist.