Complete Summary: Behind these rotting wooden walls and corroded and warped ceilings lay individuals who are tortured and tormented down to their very souls. Inescapable fates went unabashed, unhealable scars and wounds that ran so deep marred once beautifully creamy skin. Blemishes of the earth, nay- lower than the dirt they walked on and scorned for their association, they await an ultimatum, for an absolution that they all knew would one day come. It was all a matter of when.
NOTES:
This is a DARK fic. It will more than likely have controversial topics and extensive dark scenes. This is a challenging fic for me and written for personal reasons.
Please, if you are underage or too immature to handle dark themes and adult situations, please leave.
No major notes for this chapter.
No one had come to her in three days. Not a single morsel of food had been consumed during that time. She raised her kimono up a bit to get a good look at herself and grimaced at what she saw.
Her belly had sunken in, and her ribs were protruding- not that it had been a surprise. Her hand caught her eye, and she found that a nail had come loose when she had slept. Some blood coagulated at the tip of her finger, some of it dripping slowly to the floor. She ran her other hand through her hair but was further dismayed upon noticing her hair falling out. She then touched her lips- they were throbbing with pain. They were cracked, and she had no doubt they were busted.
She wanted to die. For someone to put her out of her misery. She wanted to be beaten so far she never woke. She yearned to be slain in the most brutal way possible just so she may rest in peace once and for all. She craved many things at that moment, and she also knew salvation was far from her grasp. She hoped she died of malnutrition, for at least then, she wouldn't have to suffer repeatedly when they come to bring her back from the brink of death. But then..she would never see her friends and family again...
She leaned back against the metallic pipes of her cage. She wondered - not for the first time - if she should have paid more attention to the meditation techniques Kaede had once tried to teach her. Sighing, she tilted her head back and reflected on a past that felt as though it were but a dream.
Her eyes lit up with excitement as she walked through the door to Sesshomaru's study. She had just overheard the most exciting news since moving to the palace, and, try as she might, holding in her giddiness was a near-impossible feat for her.
"We're going to host a festival?" She asked, bubbling with enthusiasm.
Inuyasha huffed in the corner with his arms crossed and his ears pressed firmly to his scalp. Sesshomaru stared at her, as blank-faced as ever, upon her entry.
It wasn't like she had meant to just walk in on their conversation. She hadn't even meant to overhear it; she just so happened to be coming up on the door when she heard about the festival. Though whatever else they had been talking about had eluded her.
The room was lowly lit. Kagome took the time to glance about, allowing herself to absorb the room's mood in general. She could see stacks of scrolls in the corner of the room, another pile atop his desk, and she could only guess that there were probably more behind the desk. She was only a tad bit annoyed at the mess strewn about the room. She noticed large cushions to the left and right of the entry, with Inuyasha occupying one to her left. Candles in the room had their shadows dancing along the bookshelves -or were they scroll shelves?- that lined the left and right sides of the room. Large drapes covered what she had assumed to be large windows. She could tell that the walls were a deep, forestry green color, with browns to help complement the room.
"We are going to the market first to make a public appearance," Sesshomaru finally informed. "We leave this afternoon."
"Why a public appearance?" Kagome asked, honestly curious.
"Inuyasha has been an expatriated prince in the western providence for some time," Sesshomaru said as he stood from his own cushion. "The publicity will ensure all those who see will spread word that he has been accepted once more as an heir to the west. Should he ever venture about, all will know and will not accost him. It will also signify our alliance with the Miko of the Shikkon."
Inuyasha huffed again, "It ain't like it's that important. Couldn't this have just waited till later?"
"It is necessary to get the political unpleasantries out of the way," he said, placing scrolls back in their proper cubbies.
"I'm going to go ahead and guess that the kids are going to have to stay home today," she couldn't fathom leaving the children behind, but if it were necessary, she wasn't going to dispute it. Besides, a day away from the kids might do her good. It sort of felt like she hadn't really had any adults to converse with since first moving in. Sure, there were the nannies -Yumi and Yuki- but they only responded to questions she asked directly. The rest of the time, they held their tongue and quietly remained in the shadows. In the beginning, it was a bit nerve-wracking because she always felt watched. Now that she was used to the silent stares, she felt as if it were almost second nature to have eyes on her.
"Okay," Kagome finally responded after some thought. "Let me get changed and say my goodbyes to the kids."
And with that, she turned on her heel back to her room. She's had some time to get used to the layout of the palace. She's managed to even memorize the paths to the kitchens, Rin's garden, her room, and the kids' playroom so far. She was, however, still a far cry from being able to navigate unsupervised. So it didn't come as a surprise to find Yumi waiting just at the end of the hall for Kagome to finish her business.
It hadn't been more than a few moments after Kagome had dressed in her priestess attire when two very excited children came bursting into the room holding a rather large white rabbit with massive floppy ears. "Oh my goodness, how cute!" She exclaimed as she reached over to pet the sizeable fluffy animal.
"Yuki and Yumi gave it to us to play with!" Kagome smiled and leaned down to their level.
"How perfect!" Kagome said as she placed a hand on each of their shoulders, "But remember, taking care of another animal is a big responsibility. You have to give it food and water and a lot of exercises. Can you two take care of the bunny?" She asked with a critical eye.
"Yes, ma'am!" Rin said excitedly, "I won't let anything happen to Chii!"
"That's what we named her!" Shippou said excitedly, before deflating for a second, "Do you like it?"
"I think it's a fantastic name," Kagome said with a big smile, cheering him up immediately. "But remember, a rabbit is not a toy, okay? Bunnies need their nap times, too, so they can get much stronger and bigger."
Rin immediately snuggled the rabbit with a sparkle in her eyes before bounding toward the door, pausing briefly to wait for Shippou.
"Why are you dressed like that?" Shippou asked, curious.
"Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and I need to go to the market for a bit," Kagome said, patting his head, "think you can take care of Rin while we're gone?"
Shippou pouted as he reached up to wrap his small arms around her calf. "Do you have to? I was hoping you would come to the garden and play with us," he said a bit broken-heartedly.
"You know as well as I do that it's hard to tell the western lord no," she said with a giggle. "You are more than welcome to escort me to the front of the palace and see me off."
"Can I?" he said as he puffed out his chest.
"Of course!" She said with a smile as she stood to full height. Kagome picked up her longbow and quiver of arrows before following the two children out into the hallway. When they reached the front gates, she said her goodbyes once more before adjusting her weapons and standing next to Inuyasha's side. She watched as Rin and Sesshomaru said their own goodbyes before turning to them. He didn't even have to signal anyone to open the large gates; he simply started walking. Both she and Inuyasha walked side by side behind him, and the trio made their way down the dirt path, the gates screeching to a close behind them.
The trek to the market had been a quiet but comfortable one. The three had reached the outskirts of the market with record time and had managed to turn the first few heads in their direction. For the most part, people stared as shopkeepers were just beginning to hand over their wares to buyers. It had been, perhaps, just a mere hour or two that the market had been available. Walking further in, however, even Kagome had begun to hear the whispers. Judging by his stiff posture, she could tell it bothered Inuyasha to listen to what they had to say. He never let his guard down, however, and stood tall and proud. Kagome chanced a peek up at the demon lord's face as well, but he was just as impassive as ever. The three of them had come to walk side by side with her in the middle. For a moment, she looked down at the narrow road at her feet. She considered herself a moment before looking up once again, proudly and stiffly, deciding it didn't matter what was said.
There was a jingling sound that caught her attention from one of the market stalls. For a moment, she faltered and let the two men walk a bit further up ahead. She staggered behind a bit before making a direct beeline between people to the stall. She smiled to herself as she took in the merchandise.
"Would you like one, miss?" Asked the shopkeeper.
"Two, actually," she said with a grin, "those two yellow ones, right there."
She pointed at a couple of strings tied loosely together as she reached for a small satchel at her side. Thanks to Miroku, she had learned how to pick up on saving money in the Feudal Era, so she had a bit she could actually spare. The shopkeeper reached over to his strung up work and loosened the ties. Two tassels quickly came loose and were inspected before being handed over to her. Kagome checked them herself before handing over a gold piece for appreciation and took long strides to catch up to the two men who seemed inclined to leave her in the dust.
"What were you doing?" Inuyasha practically demanded when she returned to his side. "You could've gotten lost. I wouldn't have been able to find you; there are too many scents here."
"I was getting these," Kagome said, holding up two intricate tassels, knowing very well he could easily find her despite the handicap. They were delicately woven with red beads in the center of them with long ends.
"What for?" He asked, looking at them curiously. "They're just strings."
"Well," she said, eyeing the lord as well, "across the large water to the east, there is a tradition they do." She began tying one of the tassels around the hilt of his sword. "People make these for the men who go off for battle. They tie them onto their weapon or on their armor for good luck. Some do it so their souls will be able to find their way home should they get lost." She smiled as she brushed the ends of the threads and let them dangle from his hilt. Inuyasha eyed them for a second before crossing his arms and moving on.
Kagome turned to Sesshomaru and tied the other one onto the hilt of Tenseiga before he had a chance to protest. Smiling as if it were her own handiwork, she turned, gesturing for the three of them to move on. Without any qualms, the three made their round through the market for another two hours.
It was, perhaps, an hour before sundown when they had decided to head back. Just as the sun had begun to set, the three were met with two very overwhelmed children. Reddened faces, sniffling noses, and teary eyes immediately had all three on alert. "What happened?" Sesshomaru immediately demanded as the two maids rushed forward, bowing.
"My lord, hyenas had been waiting in the garden and ate the rabbit we had gifted them early this morning," Yuki said quickly.
"Was anyone hurt?" Kagome asked, looking over Shippou for any wounds of any sort.
"No, Priestess," Yumi said, not lifting her head.
"Our sincerest apologies," Yuki said, "we hadn't meant-"
"See that it does not happen again," Sesshomaru said before he addressed his guard, "rotate the guard and station two at the far east wall."
"Yes, my lord," said one of his guards before bowing and running to do just that.
Sesshomaru lifted Rin into his arm and cradled her against him. Kagome did much the same, and all of them headed inside for the evening. "Ssssh, it's alright, Shippou."
She rubbed soothing circles as she headed to her room. She could only assume that the others did the same. She knew they'd be called on for dinner reasonably soon, but she wanted to get a little bit of privacy for her and the small fox kit. His hiccups were getting worse by the second it broke her heart to hear them. "But," he coughed out, "you said it was my responsibility. A-And it died."
Kagome patted his head in comfort as she lay them back against her pillows in their room. She had managed to discard her weapons at the door without jostling them two of them too much. "Shippou, that wasn't your fault in the least. It wasn't anyone's fault. Shippou, sometimes these things happen, but no one can be blamed for them."
"But I couldn't even protect Rin," he cried as he clutched her top. "And the hyenas were so scary."
It took her some time to calm him down, and when he did, he fell fast asleep in her arms. She managed to maneuver him beneath the blankets without waking him. She even slipped out of bed without so much as a peep. She wanted to see how Rin was fairing.
Quickly, she put on her slippers and walked to her door. She peered out into the empty hallway before stepping out and closing the door quietly behind her. She looked around and spotted Yuki at the end of the hall, gazing out one of the large windows. "Yuki," Kagome called and immediately brought the woman out of her reverie.
"Yes, Priestess?" She asked as she bowed.
"Will you send dinner to my room when Shippou wakes up?" She asked as she stepped forward, "We will be eating by ourselves tonight."
"Yes, Priestess," she said with another bow.
"Where are Sesshomaru and Rin?" She asked, apparent concern written all over her face.
"The Lord has taken his ward to her quarters so she may rest properly, as you have, Priestess," she said in response.
"Very well," Kagome said as she came to stand next to her. "What happened today?"
"As I stated earlier, Priestess," Yuki said with her head still bowed, "a couple of hyenas were lying in wait in Lady Rin's garden. They had been hidden by the snow."
"That is not what I am asking, and you know it," Kagome said with a frown.
"Priestess," the woman faltered a moment, "Kagome, Rin, and I had been at the gazebo while Shippou and Yumi were on the garden path. Rin had allowed the rabbit to run loose while she made more flower jewelry. When she had gone to look for it, she had found it dead in the hyenas' jaws. Rin screamed, and both Yumi and I went running toward her. I believe Shippou was behind us. It all happened so fast, I am so sorry the children had seen such a sight."
Kagome regarded the woman a moment before she crossed her arms. "Why weren't you with Rin at her side?" Kagome asked.
"I didn't think I had to," Yuki said casually, "I merely thought she was grabbing the rabbit and coming directly back."
"Yuki," Kagome said with a stern tone, "you can not turn your back on children. At all. This incident could have been easily avoided. Because of your mistake, we could have lost a child." She really wanted Yuki to be aware of her grave mistake and the severity of her actions. They really could have come back home to a much worse fate than the one they'd had today. She was thankful that the children weren't harmed, but the rabbit undoubtedly left a dent in their psyche.
Suddenly, she could hear Shippou crying out for her, and she immediately turned tail straight to the crying kit. "Bring the dinner for the two of us, and bring me a report on how Rin is doing. I want to make sure she is fine."
"Yes, Priestess," the woman bowed and left immediately.
Kagome went back into her given room, immediately going to Shippou's side to comfort him. He'd woken because of a nightmare, no doubt a result from the mess he'd probably seen earlier that day. It took her some time to quiet him down before dinner was brought in for the evening. They ate in bed, and Kagome distracted him as best she could.
That night, she was woken consistently from Shippou's cries. He wasn't used to seeing death very often. She'd made sure to shield his eyes from most of it unless absolutely necessary. She had worried about him back then when he had officially obtained his father's pelt. The little guy had been just about broken for a week straight before finally being able to let go and move forward. She worried what the rabbit would do to him, especially after having given them such a speech that morning.
Few words were spoken to each other during dinner. Kagome understood that there was probably some time needed for Shippou to move forward. She just hoped that his attachment to the rabbit hadn't been too headstrong. She could only imagine how Rin was doing with all of this. Rin was, after all, the one to have come across the gruesome sight.
Once again, quieting Shippou into a peaceful slumber, she drifted off and hoped for a better day.
A/N:
I've been battling COVID for the past two weeks.
(What a way to spend the holidays, right?)
So I will be posting twice this week for a late Christmas/New Year's gift to you all.
Hope you're still with me, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!