Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in Inuyasha... not that I'd
want to own Kikyo in particular. Sorry, but I'm holding out hopes that she
really is dead this time (for those of you who've been keeping up with the
Japanese translations). There has to be a limit on the amount of times one
girl can seemingly come back to life.
(A/N: I still feel really ill right now... I've been chucking up all night and I've been stuck in bed all day and I have nothing to do. So what do I do? Yes, that's right! I go on the computer to give myself a headache... urgh... why is this machine so slow?!)
Two Faced
Bearers of Bad News
"I can't believe it..."
"I know...
"You - of all people being so stupid!" Kagome's father paced the length of his hotel room. Kagome sat on the bed, staring at her toes... she was all alone on this one. "You know you shouldn't go out without protection!"
"I had Inuyasha." Kagome offered.
"Thank god."
"So you can blame him too." Kagome sounded hopeful.
"Not likely, he doesn't know the rules like you do. This is entirely your fault Kagome. I'm disappointed in you." Her father said gravely.
Kagome rolled her eyes when he couldn't see. Why did parents always have to do the whole guilt trip with the disappointment remark. It made her feel so ungrateful and... immature. Both of which she was definitely not.
"The mall for Christ's sakes..."
Kagome bit her lip. She hadn't intended for him to find out about her little trip out yesterday with Inuyasha but once the fire alarm had been tripped the security guards had recognised her and had gone running to Mr Higurashi. Little pigs...
"And to think you are being so careless when the day of darkness is soon to approach..."
At once Kagome's anger sparked to life. She'd had just about enough of this. "That's all you care about, isn't it?! Sod the fact that I was almost beaten up - or much worse - you could only care if I will still be able to perform this miracle!"
Her father quickly tried to placate her. "You know that's not all I care about, honey!"
"Then act like it for once!" she snapped.
"Don't take that tone of voice with me, young lady." He said in his authoritative voice that had sent her scampering when she was small. The fact that he was trying to intimidate her now just got her more annoyed.
"All you care about is whether or not I'll be able to commit murder and genocide in the end!"
"Don't call it that! It's just... racial cleansing..."
"Dad! That IS genocide!"
Inuyasha stopped dead outside the room, he could hear raised voices from inside Mr Higurashi's room and by the sound of it Kagome was in a strop. No surprise, he thought, she was a spoilt brat anyway.
He was about to continue on his way when he heard Kagome continue. "I WON'T be a part of this! I WON'T kill demons just for the sake of a scrap of paper!"
"Kagome - you know this is no mere scrap of paper!" her father thundered.
"Whatever - it's a sacred scroll - do I look as if I give a damn?!"
"Don't use that language with me, Kagome!" he snapped.
"The man who made up that prophecy was a man in a mental institute dad! How much respect should I hold for him?" Inuyasha could hear Kagome was pacing inside. "He makes up one lousy story in the future and suddenly the world falls at his feet!"
"He was no ordinary man, Kagome! He went insane when he envisioned his family being killed in a car crash - and only a day later his family was killed in a coach trip!"
"A COUCH trip! There's a difference!" Kagome was shouting so loudly her voice was going a little hoarse. "So he got a few lucky estimates of what could happen."
"He prophesised six disasters after his death - including what would occur at his own death." Kagome's father told her calmly. "He has never guessed wrong or has once ever been off the mark. You shouldn't take this lightly."
"He hated demons - what if he was making it up?"
"How could he? He didn't even know me or you but he writ down your name and what would happen on the day of darkness."
"That I will lead the world into light." Kagome shook her head. "It sounds corny, dad."
"But it's true." He'd memorised this prophecy off by heart. "the day of darkness is nearly at hand and it will take place in the southern territory... across the forest border that divides the country."
"How can anything happen there? Everything's so primitive and old fashioned." Kagome pulled a face.
"Demons infest those areas - the demons who can't hide their forms in a human guise. They dwell in the forests and they come out at night to raid the towns and cities in the Southern territory. Anything to do with demons will happen down south... every day there is a day of darkness."
"This still should have nothing to do with me." Kagome sat back on the bed, folding her arms and crossing her legs stubbornly. "I never asked for this..."
"Kagome... demons kill countless numbers of people each year... something has to be done to stop them. You are that something. Why can't you understand?" her father sounded pleading.
"Because a crazy old man just suddenly woke up one morning and decided to choose my fate! Because of him I live everyday in this proverbial cage! I can't go out! People hate me - they try to kill me! And those who love me only love me because I'll commit murder to an entire race!" Kagome snorted with disgust. "They all sicken me."
Inuyasha was slightly surprised. He really should have gone on his way by now... but he would have missed this little conversation. How come the witch bitch didn't want to kill anyone? It was well known that she couldn't wait until the day she killed everyone...
Though that could have just been a rumour...
Kagome's father sighed again and knelt before her, taking her hand, only to have it snatched back angrily. She was mad at him... he understood that. "Kagome... the people in the South need help - they need you. I... I'm going to go down there tonight with some of the other MPs and we're going to try and sort out their problem... I want you to come with me."
"So I'll be in the right place for my appointment?" Kagome asked scathingly.
Her father said nothing, confirming her suspicions.
"I'll be staying here then." Kagome said quietly. "Hope you have a nice holiday."
The pregnant pause dragged on for a moment or two before her father stood.
Inuyasha chose that moment to enter, expression neutral. "What's going on? Could here you two squawking all the way down the hall."
"Goodbye, Inuyasha." Kagome's father brushed past him on his way out. "Look after Kagome."
Inuyasha watched him go with a feigned confused expression. Once the door was shut he turned back to Kagome, about to ask what had just happened - just to make it look convincing. But he stopped himself when he saw that she'd flopped down face first onto the bed and was shaking with silent sobs.
Nothing made him feel more awkward than wet eyes... so he decided it was best to leave her be for once.
"It's ok, you don't have to go." Kagome said as if reading his mind. She sat up, clutching a pillow to her chest while wiping the tears from her eyes.
"I thought you and your dad were close." Inuyasha remarked, unsure what to do with himself.
"We are... it's just been a little stressful lately... with those attempts on my life and the whole dawning of the prophecy." Kagome's voice squeaked slightly, having thoroughly wrecked it through yelling and crying.
"Oh that thing." Inuyasha acted as if it wasn't very important to him... while in actual fact he'd never been allowed to forget it.
Kagome looked up at him slowly, her eyes a little calculating. "There's something about you..."
"What?" Inuyasha asked a little too quickly.
"You... everyone says you're faithful to my cause..." Kagome said a little cynically, causing Inuyasha to worry slightly. Was she on to him?
"I am." He nodded his head firmly.
"But you don't like me... do you?" Kagome frowned. "Don't worry, I won't be offended if you admit you don't like me... the feelings mutual."
"Oh thanks..." Inuyasha found himself almost automatically sitting down on the bed, but with a nice big gap between him and Kagome. "I don't like you at all in that case."
"Dad says that your father and mother were killed by demons... so why would you be against my cause?" she was leaning forward slightly.
Inuyasha had gone very still. He smiled sarcastically and was about to correct her... before realising that would be a very stupid idea. If she knew that it was actually HUMANS who had killed his real parents then she'd never trust him... he'd be lucky if she didn't eject him right away.
So instead he settled for the Disney version with the happy ending she liked. "I'm all for you killing demons... I hate them... every single one of them... I just don't like you is all."
Kagome narrowed his eyes. She'd really been expecting something more substantial that just 'I don't like you, so there'. She'd been expecting hidden conspiracies and deep emotional wounds inside... but hey, this was real life! Those things only really happened in fairytales and Soap operas (which are very closely related).
Kagome went off to her own room to get ready for bed, while Inuyasha trailed along after her, deep in his own thoughts.
This put a whole new spin on things. The day he'd found out that human activists had killed both his real mother and father he'd turned to the person he had always been taught to hate... his brother. Sesshomaru had told him the truth about his Stepfather and all the things humans would do to rid their world of demons. It had only been natural to fall into step alongside his brother's kind then.
He'd learned Sesshomaru was operating head of a cell - a group of demon activists that worked against Humans... run by some mysterious demon who lived deep within the dividing forbidden forest that separated the northern territory from the southern. Inuyasha had, of course, want to join their cause... but to do that he had to be the hero to save all demons and kill this one little girl before she killed every demon alive.
He was ok with that... until now...
He glanced up and saw her walking ahead. She was still carefully rubbing away the last of the moisture from her eyes. She didn't seem so formidable at this range... she was so small and... weak... how could she destroy an entire race?
Plus she was sharp-tongued and had a rather twisted sense of humour... he'd totally underestimated that she'd have any character at all. But here she was as large as life, and as totally opposed to killing demons as much as the people who hated her for it. It surprised him a little...
Actually, it surprised him a lot. Now he didn't know what to do.
In fact... he even felt a tad guilty for trying to kill her before... but he still had to do what he had to do...
^_^
"Knock, knock!"
Inuyasha looked up from the TV to the door of Kagome's hotel room. "Who the hell says 'knock, knock' when they knock on the door?"
Kagome suddenly seemed very happy. "Who's there?"
"Yodel lady." Came the reply.
Kagome ran to the door. "Yodel lady who?" then pulled open the door.
A total stranger stood there smiling in at the other girl. "Hey! You can yodel!"
"Hey Sango!" Kagome lurched forward to embrace the other, slightly older looking girl.
"Hey, Kagome." The girl pulled back eventually. "Look how much you grew!"
"What are you doing here?" Kagome was over the moon apparently. "I heard you were in the Southern territory with your dad."
"He brought us back a little while ago - I would have been to see you but it's been a little busy around dad's work - he didn't have time." Sango explained, inviting herself in. "He's here to speak to your dad's friends though - they're in the lobby downstairs."
"Why dad's friends?" Kagome frowned.
"Dunno, he didn't say why he was coming here." Sango shrugged then spotted Inuyasha for the first time. "Oh look - have your bodyguards kicked your friend out yet."
"He's not my friend - and he IS my bodyguard." Kagome explained with a distasteful glance back at Inuyasha. They'd had another argument that morning over who got to use the shower first and the day before it had been about the sleeping arrangements. Poor, fragile little Inuyasha was getting a bad back from sleeping on the sofa. Kagome would normally have complained to her father about this, but he'd left for the Southern lands yesterday.
At the mention of 'not my friend' and 'bodyguard', Sango was able to piece a lot of information together. Meaning he wasn't taken, he was good-looking and very likely quite nice and fit. Kagome could have sworn she heard a little hum of appreciation from Sango and smiled.
"You know - he can lift an elephant with each arm?" Kagome said idly, earning a glare of Inuyasha. "Or a monkey with each arm... I forget."
"Anyway - dad sent me up to tell you to come down. He has news for you or something like that." Sango smiled, then glanced towards Inuyasha. "You coming?"
"As always." He heaved himself up out of his cushy dent that he'd made in the sofa and followed the two girls out of the room and down the hall, heading for the stairs. He made gossipy gestures with his hands behind their backs at they chattered away like old friends... which they probably were.
Women...
When they entered the lobby a rather sudden hush went around and lots of people in military suddenly rose to their feet and took of their hats... looking pityingly at Kagome.
Kagome noticed how everyone suddenly seemed to fall silent and stopped dead. It sounded like something bad had just happened.
General Taijiya, Sango's father, rose slowly from his seat and looked gravely at Kagome. "Miss Higurashi..."
Inuyasha frowned at the unfolding scene. Someone had just died... that was obvious. Military always informed family members like this... which meant... he suddenly found the floor that much more interesting than what was going on.
"What's happening?" Kagome asked, the confusion clear in her tone.
"We're sorry... it's your father..." General Taijiya said softly.
For a long while nothing was said as Kagome tried to process this. Then her knees failed her and the floor came rushing up to meet her swimming head. They would have connected with each other if Inuyasha hadn't caught her just in time.
(A/N: Next Chapter 'Isn't it Ironic?'.)
(A/N: I still feel really ill right now... I've been chucking up all night and I've been stuck in bed all day and I have nothing to do. So what do I do? Yes, that's right! I go on the computer to give myself a headache... urgh... why is this machine so slow?!)
Two Faced
Bearers of Bad News
"I can't believe it..."
"I know...
"You - of all people being so stupid!" Kagome's father paced the length of his hotel room. Kagome sat on the bed, staring at her toes... she was all alone on this one. "You know you shouldn't go out without protection!"
"I had Inuyasha." Kagome offered.
"Thank god."
"So you can blame him too." Kagome sounded hopeful.
"Not likely, he doesn't know the rules like you do. This is entirely your fault Kagome. I'm disappointed in you." Her father said gravely.
Kagome rolled her eyes when he couldn't see. Why did parents always have to do the whole guilt trip with the disappointment remark. It made her feel so ungrateful and... immature. Both of which she was definitely not.
"The mall for Christ's sakes..."
Kagome bit her lip. She hadn't intended for him to find out about her little trip out yesterday with Inuyasha but once the fire alarm had been tripped the security guards had recognised her and had gone running to Mr Higurashi. Little pigs...
"And to think you are being so careless when the day of darkness is soon to approach..."
At once Kagome's anger sparked to life. She'd had just about enough of this. "That's all you care about, isn't it?! Sod the fact that I was almost beaten up - or much worse - you could only care if I will still be able to perform this miracle!"
Her father quickly tried to placate her. "You know that's not all I care about, honey!"
"Then act like it for once!" she snapped.
"Don't take that tone of voice with me, young lady." He said in his authoritative voice that had sent her scampering when she was small. The fact that he was trying to intimidate her now just got her more annoyed.
"All you care about is whether or not I'll be able to commit murder and genocide in the end!"
"Don't call it that! It's just... racial cleansing..."
"Dad! That IS genocide!"
Inuyasha stopped dead outside the room, he could hear raised voices from inside Mr Higurashi's room and by the sound of it Kagome was in a strop. No surprise, he thought, she was a spoilt brat anyway.
He was about to continue on his way when he heard Kagome continue. "I WON'T be a part of this! I WON'T kill demons just for the sake of a scrap of paper!"
"Kagome - you know this is no mere scrap of paper!" her father thundered.
"Whatever - it's a sacred scroll - do I look as if I give a damn?!"
"Don't use that language with me, Kagome!" he snapped.
"The man who made up that prophecy was a man in a mental institute dad! How much respect should I hold for him?" Inuyasha could hear Kagome was pacing inside. "He makes up one lousy story in the future and suddenly the world falls at his feet!"
"He was no ordinary man, Kagome! He went insane when he envisioned his family being killed in a car crash - and only a day later his family was killed in a coach trip!"
"A COUCH trip! There's a difference!" Kagome was shouting so loudly her voice was going a little hoarse. "So he got a few lucky estimates of what could happen."
"He prophesised six disasters after his death - including what would occur at his own death." Kagome's father told her calmly. "He has never guessed wrong or has once ever been off the mark. You shouldn't take this lightly."
"He hated demons - what if he was making it up?"
"How could he? He didn't even know me or you but he writ down your name and what would happen on the day of darkness."
"That I will lead the world into light." Kagome shook her head. "It sounds corny, dad."
"But it's true." He'd memorised this prophecy off by heart. "the day of darkness is nearly at hand and it will take place in the southern territory... across the forest border that divides the country."
"How can anything happen there? Everything's so primitive and old fashioned." Kagome pulled a face.
"Demons infest those areas - the demons who can't hide their forms in a human guise. They dwell in the forests and they come out at night to raid the towns and cities in the Southern territory. Anything to do with demons will happen down south... every day there is a day of darkness."
"This still should have nothing to do with me." Kagome sat back on the bed, folding her arms and crossing her legs stubbornly. "I never asked for this..."
"Kagome... demons kill countless numbers of people each year... something has to be done to stop them. You are that something. Why can't you understand?" her father sounded pleading.
"Because a crazy old man just suddenly woke up one morning and decided to choose my fate! Because of him I live everyday in this proverbial cage! I can't go out! People hate me - they try to kill me! And those who love me only love me because I'll commit murder to an entire race!" Kagome snorted with disgust. "They all sicken me."
Inuyasha was slightly surprised. He really should have gone on his way by now... but he would have missed this little conversation. How come the witch bitch didn't want to kill anyone? It was well known that she couldn't wait until the day she killed everyone...
Though that could have just been a rumour...
Kagome's father sighed again and knelt before her, taking her hand, only to have it snatched back angrily. She was mad at him... he understood that. "Kagome... the people in the South need help - they need you. I... I'm going to go down there tonight with some of the other MPs and we're going to try and sort out their problem... I want you to come with me."
"So I'll be in the right place for my appointment?" Kagome asked scathingly.
Her father said nothing, confirming her suspicions.
"I'll be staying here then." Kagome said quietly. "Hope you have a nice holiday."
The pregnant pause dragged on for a moment or two before her father stood.
Inuyasha chose that moment to enter, expression neutral. "What's going on? Could here you two squawking all the way down the hall."
"Goodbye, Inuyasha." Kagome's father brushed past him on his way out. "Look after Kagome."
Inuyasha watched him go with a feigned confused expression. Once the door was shut he turned back to Kagome, about to ask what had just happened - just to make it look convincing. But he stopped himself when he saw that she'd flopped down face first onto the bed and was shaking with silent sobs.
Nothing made him feel more awkward than wet eyes... so he decided it was best to leave her be for once.
"It's ok, you don't have to go." Kagome said as if reading his mind. She sat up, clutching a pillow to her chest while wiping the tears from her eyes.
"I thought you and your dad were close." Inuyasha remarked, unsure what to do with himself.
"We are... it's just been a little stressful lately... with those attempts on my life and the whole dawning of the prophecy." Kagome's voice squeaked slightly, having thoroughly wrecked it through yelling and crying.
"Oh that thing." Inuyasha acted as if it wasn't very important to him... while in actual fact he'd never been allowed to forget it.
Kagome looked up at him slowly, her eyes a little calculating. "There's something about you..."
"What?" Inuyasha asked a little too quickly.
"You... everyone says you're faithful to my cause..." Kagome said a little cynically, causing Inuyasha to worry slightly. Was she on to him?
"I am." He nodded his head firmly.
"But you don't like me... do you?" Kagome frowned. "Don't worry, I won't be offended if you admit you don't like me... the feelings mutual."
"Oh thanks..." Inuyasha found himself almost automatically sitting down on the bed, but with a nice big gap between him and Kagome. "I don't like you at all in that case."
"Dad says that your father and mother were killed by demons... so why would you be against my cause?" she was leaning forward slightly.
Inuyasha had gone very still. He smiled sarcastically and was about to correct her... before realising that would be a very stupid idea. If she knew that it was actually HUMANS who had killed his real parents then she'd never trust him... he'd be lucky if she didn't eject him right away.
So instead he settled for the Disney version with the happy ending she liked. "I'm all for you killing demons... I hate them... every single one of them... I just don't like you is all."
Kagome narrowed his eyes. She'd really been expecting something more substantial that just 'I don't like you, so there'. She'd been expecting hidden conspiracies and deep emotional wounds inside... but hey, this was real life! Those things only really happened in fairytales and Soap operas (which are very closely related).
Kagome went off to her own room to get ready for bed, while Inuyasha trailed along after her, deep in his own thoughts.
This put a whole new spin on things. The day he'd found out that human activists had killed both his real mother and father he'd turned to the person he had always been taught to hate... his brother. Sesshomaru had told him the truth about his Stepfather and all the things humans would do to rid their world of demons. It had only been natural to fall into step alongside his brother's kind then.
He'd learned Sesshomaru was operating head of a cell - a group of demon activists that worked against Humans... run by some mysterious demon who lived deep within the dividing forbidden forest that separated the northern territory from the southern. Inuyasha had, of course, want to join their cause... but to do that he had to be the hero to save all demons and kill this one little girl before she killed every demon alive.
He was ok with that... until now...
He glanced up and saw her walking ahead. She was still carefully rubbing away the last of the moisture from her eyes. She didn't seem so formidable at this range... she was so small and... weak... how could she destroy an entire race?
Plus she was sharp-tongued and had a rather twisted sense of humour... he'd totally underestimated that she'd have any character at all. But here she was as large as life, and as totally opposed to killing demons as much as the people who hated her for it. It surprised him a little...
Actually, it surprised him a lot. Now he didn't know what to do.
In fact... he even felt a tad guilty for trying to kill her before... but he still had to do what he had to do...
^_^
"Knock, knock!"
Inuyasha looked up from the TV to the door of Kagome's hotel room. "Who the hell says 'knock, knock' when they knock on the door?"
Kagome suddenly seemed very happy. "Who's there?"
"Yodel lady." Came the reply.
Kagome ran to the door. "Yodel lady who?" then pulled open the door.
A total stranger stood there smiling in at the other girl. "Hey! You can yodel!"
"Hey Sango!" Kagome lurched forward to embrace the other, slightly older looking girl.
"Hey, Kagome." The girl pulled back eventually. "Look how much you grew!"
"What are you doing here?" Kagome was over the moon apparently. "I heard you were in the Southern territory with your dad."
"He brought us back a little while ago - I would have been to see you but it's been a little busy around dad's work - he didn't have time." Sango explained, inviting herself in. "He's here to speak to your dad's friends though - they're in the lobby downstairs."
"Why dad's friends?" Kagome frowned.
"Dunno, he didn't say why he was coming here." Sango shrugged then spotted Inuyasha for the first time. "Oh look - have your bodyguards kicked your friend out yet."
"He's not my friend - and he IS my bodyguard." Kagome explained with a distasteful glance back at Inuyasha. They'd had another argument that morning over who got to use the shower first and the day before it had been about the sleeping arrangements. Poor, fragile little Inuyasha was getting a bad back from sleeping on the sofa. Kagome would normally have complained to her father about this, but he'd left for the Southern lands yesterday.
At the mention of 'not my friend' and 'bodyguard', Sango was able to piece a lot of information together. Meaning he wasn't taken, he was good-looking and very likely quite nice and fit. Kagome could have sworn she heard a little hum of appreciation from Sango and smiled.
"You know - he can lift an elephant with each arm?" Kagome said idly, earning a glare of Inuyasha. "Or a monkey with each arm... I forget."
"Anyway - dad sent me up to tell you to come down. He has news for you or something like that." Sango smiled, then glanced towards Inuyasha. "You coming?"
"As always." He heaved himself up out of his cushy dent that he'd made in the sofa and followed the two girls out of the room and down the hall, heading for the stairs. He made gossipy gestures with his hands behind their backs at they chattered away like old friends... which they probably were.
Women...
When they entered the lobby a rather sudden hush went around and lots of people in military suddenly rose to their feet and took of their hats... looking pityingly at Kagome.
Kagome noticed how everyone suddenly seemed to fall silent and stopped dead. It sounded like something bad had just happened.
General Taijiya, Sango's father, rose slowly from his seat and looked gravely at Kagome. "Miss Higurashi..."
Inuyasha frowned at the unfolding scene. Someone had just died... that was obvious. Military always informed family members like this... which meant... he suddenly found the floor that much more interesting than what was going on.
"What's happening?" Kagome asked, the confusion clear in her tone.
"We're sorry... it's your father..." General Taijiya said softly.
For a long while nothing was said as Kagome tried to process this. Then her knees failed her and the floor came rushing up to meet her swimming head. They would have connected with each other if Inuyasha hadn't caught her just in time.
(A/N: Next Chapter 'Isn't it Ironic?'.)