Mirror Images
Chapter Three: The Wrong Princess
WAIIII!!!!! Twenty reviews–thank you, thank you, thank you! I know you guys want to read the rest of this, so I'll get on with this–big fat kudos to my beta/proofreaders, JadeWing and Sapphire Midnight, I love you guys!
Disclaimer: Nope, no ownership here!
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My life officially sucked. Really, it did.
It wasn't bad enough that I had to impersonate this haughty, self-important princess with a giant thorn up her rear. Or that she was also wanted by what, three or four kingdoms. Correction: wanted dead.
But no, now because of her, I was stuck in the cargo compartment of the ship, with no light, no air, bound hand and foot, and kneeling in a pool of my own vomit.
I really hated Kikyo right then. And ships. And sailing.
Not to mention my life.
The chitters of a rat neared and I barely picked out its dim form coming closer. "Someone else wants to piss on me, just great," I muttered. Anger surged up suddenly, turning my vision red as my heartbeat thundered in my ears. Why me? Why did I have to be the one to take the fall for Kikyo, huh?
A squeal from the rat snapped me out of my fury in time to see a ball of white light slam into it, knocking it into the wall. Whimpering, it scuttled behind one of the crates and apparently down a hole, its cries fading slowly.
What had just happened here?
Before I could really think over what I'd done, the rolling motion came to an abrupt halt. I'd learned to rock with it to keep my balance, and now with it in absentia, I slammed into one of the crates. My shoulder throbbed painfully, and I bit back tears, leaning against the wooden surface.
"Wakey-wakey, my lady," came a mocking voice. A square of light appeared above me, and I clenched my eyes shut as hard as I could manage. Two thumps shook the ground, and rough hands seized me by the arms. My shoulder flashed with pain and I cried out, blackness rushing up to swallow me further.
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The tavern air was thick with warmth and the smell of beer, as well as the hazy smoke of pipes. Excited talk floated around, all focused on one thing and one thing only: Princess Kikyo was theirs.
Unseen by any but the bar matrons, and only then as a potential customer, a figure quietly entered inside. A hood covered his features, the rest of the cloak his clothes, and naught was visible to the eye but for the lower half of his face.
"They said they're gonna bring her through the town," one man said drunkenly.
"Yeah, the damn witch. We'll show er how we treat uns of er kind." His companion held out a mug for another fill. "'Zat Kikyo, she's no' gonna like it ere."
"You don't say." The hooded stranger sat next to them. "Who's killing what now?"
"Dey caught Prinshess Kikyo from Shirome Kingdom, dey did," the first one slurred, grinning widely. "Dey're bringin' her overseas, and dey said she's gon' be here tonightdrive er through the town, the like."
"And what are they going to do with her after that?" The stranger's calm voice let no hint of his intentions escape.
"Well" The second one turned to face him, face red. "She's got shome strange powers, so to keep er from gettin' away, they're gon' execute her tomorrow morn'. Front of everybody, you know, just whack and off goes er head."
"Well." Two gold coins appeared in his hands and were dropped onto the counter. "Another few rounds for my friends, here."
"Yessir." The matron took the coins and set about filling their mugs.
Inuyasha walked out, waited until he reached the forest, and then put down his hood, muttering, "Stupid son-of-a-bitch drunks." A few more mugs, and they'd be too drunk to spit out a coherent sentence, much less remember the hooded inquisitor. Couldn't Kikyo keep herself out of trouble? Obviously not, since she was about to be beheadedAnd here he was, having to keep himself from starting something in the bar and giving himself away too early "That damn bitch."
The hanyou shot through the trees with ease, scowling, then came to a halt at the top of the tallest one nearby. He could see the port, as well as the royal galley at the dock: then he picked out movement aboard it.
Two soldiers hauled a dark-haired, haggard-looking figure out of a hatch. It had to be Kikyo, but the blurry view of her he had wasn't pretty. His eyes softened momentarily. "Really got yourself beaten up in this one, didn't you?" he said under his breath. She was unconscious by the way she was being forced along, but then he could see her eyes open slightly. They turned into a frown, and she seemed to snap something that earned her a cuff on the head that sent her to her knees.
Inuyasha gritted his teeth, but there was nothing he could do. He was going to be helpless as soon as the sun set, and if the execution was at dawn it would make things semi-difficult, although he could sneak in as a human far more easily.
Her eyes closed again, and from the slump of her shoulders she'd returned to a state of unconsciousness. They unceremoniously dumped her in a cart with only hay for a cushion, drawn by a flea-bitten old nag, and someone sounded a horn. People started lining the streets, and the cart started forward.
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Splat.
Something foul-smelling sprayed over my face, and I flinched. What?
"Witch!"
"Sorceress!"
"Burn her!"
A rotten tomato from the smell of it struck my cheek and I sat up, then grimaced at the agony in my shoulder. The near-twilight still hurt my eyes, accustomed to darkness, but I kept them open.
I was in some kind of cart, headed down a road to what I presumed was the palace. Crowds were lining the streets, carrying torches, rotten food, or both. Soon the inside of the cart–and I–resembled the inside of a pig-feeding trough and smelled even worse.
I stared at the hate-filled eyes of the people and saw hunger and pain written there, suffering from the war. Why did they blame me–or Kikyo? I had never asked for it, and neither had she.
My head hung low, and a single tear slipped down my face. GrandpaHow would they feel, knowing I had died here in disgrace?
This isn't my fault. I might die, but they can't break me. I won't let them.
The tears still ran down my face, but I lifted my head, looking proudly ahead of me. They wanted Kikyo dead, but it was I they were getting, and I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of getting what they were after. Even after I was dead, I would be laughing at them. I was supposed to guard Kikyo and I'd done my job.
So there.
Something made me look ahead at a hooded figure lurking in the shadows. Dark blue-violet eyes watched me, expressionless, the face unseen in the after-sunset shadows of the moonless eve. No sound came from the figure, nothing thrown, no torch. He just watched.
Then he disappeared behind another clump of jeering people. I looked at them, saddened at what war had driven them to, then looked out at all the people, eyes quietly sympathetic, no longer angry.
Slowly the throwing stopped, the jeering quieting. They all simply watched as the cart clattered over the cobblestones, mad fury fading from their expressions. A wave of silence trailed after me, quiet stilling the air, and as I was carted across the drawbridge and into the castle, the entire city was soundless. The stillness was only broken by the cries of an infant, joined one after another by the other children, the wailing infinitely sad.
The king of Tuzaki was waiting for me. I was thrown at his feet ungracefully, but slowly stood, giving him look for look. They weren't going to execute Kikyo. They were going to murder Kagome.
He stared at me, then slapped me hard. I shook, starbursts in my eyes, but forced myself to meet his gaze once more. I pitied him, king of a broken country. He couldn't take care of his people.
He slapped me again harder. I fell, then got up, still looking evenly at him. He could not break me. I would only be broken when I gave up.
"Why?" he demanded, enraged. "Why do you look at me like that?!"
"You are one to be pitied," I replied. "You cannot rule your people without destroying them."
He growled. "You are the one who will die! I will live longer than you!"
"Will your memory?" I asked quietly. "Or will it fall short of the one who silenced your entire city without lifting a finger?"
He drew back, paling, then snapped, "Take her away! Into the dungeons!"
I followed obediently. Perhaps I hadn't struck a physical blow, but he would remember my words his entire life.
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The predawn chill made him scowl and curse the human body he had right then, along with his heritage. Who'd ever heard of a demon falling in love with a human? It didn't happenbut it seemed it had, and here he was, completely screwed over. And he had to rescue Kikyo, not the people of her own kingdom.
Crowds were gathering, but like the strange night before, there was no sound. It was more like an eerie homage, thousands paying their honors to someone who was more worth the throne than their own king than a spectator event.
He easily passed the guards: they were looking for any demons to rescue her, not a human. Even the priests stationed at the gates to sense for youki wouldn't find him, not as he was right then. Perhaps there were some advantages.
He managed to find a shadowy corner of the City Square where he would pass through his transformation unseen. It was whether it would be in time that was in question.
The sky started lightening, and a drum began its pounding toll. An escort marched the girl down, every eye on her, but she didn't flinch, didn't break down, didn't give a hint of weakness. Even though he despised the betrothal they'd been forced into, Inuyasha was forced to admire Kikyo's ability not to blink, not to show a hint of weakness, despite the assumed fact that she was about to die.
The swollen sun reached tentative fingers over the horizon, and she was led to the block. A man in black grimly fingered the dull axe as the transformation started to roll over him. Come on, go faster, he willed it, watching his fingers flex and gain the longer claws. A strand of his hair faded to gray, then white, and the burning sun completely cleared the horizon. Kikyo was forced to kneel before the block, not a sound running through the crowds.
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I kept my head high with difficulty, tempted to kick and scream–but that was what the king wanted, to see me break down, and I'd be damned if I was going to give it to him. I got to my knees, trying to hide my shaking, and closed my eyes. Goodbye, Souta. Goodbye, Grandpa. I'm sorryKikyo, you'd better live a good life after this, or I'll come back and haunt you. I'm not dying so you can keep on moping around.
A cry of surprise jerked me out of my reverie, and my eyes flew open only to find a hooded figure suspended in the air. It landed next to me with a thump, something slicing through my bonds, and then a strong arm seized me around the waist.
"Come on, Kikyo," a voice growled.
"Wait a second–" I started, automatically starting to correct my savior.
"Do you want to be rescued or not?" Without waiting for a reply, he–from the voice, it was definitely a he–leapt into the air once more, landed on a rooftop, and took off again. A single cheer broke through the air, then was joined by thousands of others, but they faded swiftly. "Wait–you don't understand–I–"
"Will you shut up already?!" His hood flew back, and I held in a gasp. Gold-amber eyes momentarily flicked down at me, irate, then returned to a point in the distance. Long white hair streamed behind him, thick and rather fluffy-looking.
But the biggest things were his ears. The two, triangular dog-ears.
This struck a chord in my memory, but it took a minute for me to think of where it was from.
Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. NO! NO!
Kikyo had mentioned this boy once or twice, mostly with what sounded like disgust with a trace of affection, but I'd heard his name before
If he was who I thought he was, things were going to get very–wellinteresting.
We landed in a dark alley, him looking suspiciously around. "Hey–listen–" I started, but was cut off by a hand clamping over my mouth.
"Shut your mouth, bitch!" he hissed. "Maybe the people like you well enough in this city, but it's the king who's got all the soldiers, and there's bound to be a shitload coming after us any time soon!" He shot straight into the air, but his hand didn't move from my mouth. "Keep your mouth shut until I say so!"
I glowered at him, but he didn't notice. No wonder Kikyo was so unhappy: if I had this half-demon jackass for my betrothed, I wouldn't be Little Miss Sunshine either. We had reached the treetops by the time he was distracted enough to let me force his hand away from my mouth. "Listen to me! I'm not Kikyo!"
At first, it was the fact that I was falling that drew my attention. Then it was the ear-shattering bellow of "WHAT?!" that caught my ear, but that was soon replaced by the knowledge that I was going to hit the ground. Hard. Soon. This was not good.
I stiffened, terrified, and white lights played behind my eyelids. I opened them to find a white sphere around me, slowing the fall, although it didn't keep the leaves and twigs from catching my arms. I was dropped relatively less severely on my rear, and a moment later Kikyo's "boyfriend" showed up.
I glared at him. Inuyasha's reputation preceded him as the rebellious younger prince of the demon kingdom, the one who stirred up trouble wherever he went, the one who no one really liked but Kikyo was betrothed to as part of the treaty between Shirome and Tetsui.
He was no match for a scratched-up, pissed-off, I-nearly-died-twice-the-first-time-from-being-killed-instead-of-a-spoiled-princess-and-the-second-cause-YOU-just-dropped-me me.
"What do you mean, you're not Kikyo?" he growled lowly, looking ready to explode.
"I'm a double," I retorted. "A fake. A dummy. It was either agree to impersonate Kikyo or get my head hacked off, my pick."
"You're lying!" he yelled. "You just lit up like a burning squirrel and you expect me to believe you're not Kikyo?!"
"My name is Kagome!" I yelled back. "Ka-go-me! And it just happens to be my own crappy luck that I look like an arrogant, self-important princess and happen to have some weird power! And it's not my fault you rescued the wrong princess, so quit acting like it is, you pompous jackass!"
If the naughty language that Kikyo would have fainted at hearing, much less ever saying, didn't convince him, I guess it was when he leaned forward, frowning, and sniffed, then muttered to himself, "You smell worse than she does. Maybe you're telling the truth." that did it.
"You don't say," I grumbled.
"Listen, you," he said suddenly, grabbing my arm and dragging me to my feet. "You'd better spit out where Kikyo is or I don't care who or what you are, I'll rip you in half!"
"You–you jerk!" And then I decided to obey him, in a fashion–and spat in his face.
Inuyasha yelled out something that would have scarred a young child for life and let go, hurriedly scrubbing his face with his wide red sleeve. "That was disgusting, you bitch!" he yelled, looking like he was going to be sick.
"Aw, is widdle Inuyashee afwaid of cooties?" I asked sweetly.
"That was so gross!"
"If you want an answer, you're going to have to ask nicely." My grin was wide and gloating.
"You wanna put money on that?" He advanced, cracking his knuckles and looking ready to kill, and fear numbed my bones. I was seized by the arm again, but this time it hurt.
"Let go!" I yelped, squirming.
"Answer me," he returned. "Where is Kikyo?"
"Let–me–GO!" My eyes were squeezed shut, but from the flash I saw through them and a sharp oath–as well as the absence of the pressure on my wrist–I gathered I'd done something again.
When I opened my eyes, Inuyasha was halfway across the clearing, nursing a burnt hand and scowling blackly at me. "You're not big on please' and thank-you', are you?" I said dryly.
He, unsurprisingly, replied with another scorching suggestion.
"You'd better get this straight, or else I'll roast you like a plucked chicken," I lied, having no clue how to use the strange powers. "My name is Kagome Higurashi, and I never asked to be screwed over like this. Kikyo decided to draw the demons away from the palace, and so I had to impersonate her while she pretended to be my servant. We were taken in Multaro, and they split us up and shipped me over here for execution. I don't have a damned clue about where she is or if she's even alive right now, but it's my job to help her and to hell with you if you're going to get in my way."
"Can you fight?" he asked bluntly.
I wasn't expecting that. "What?"
"Can you fight?" he repeated, giving me the you're a half-wit' look. "Use a bow? Sword? Anything?"
"Wellno."
"Then what good are you?" Inuyasha snorted, shaking out his hand. The burns were rapidly healing, but still looked rather nasty.
My anger rose, and the air started lightening around me. A strand of black hair wavered, then started floating.
"Okay, okay, I take it back!" It looked like it hurt his teeth to say it. "So maybe you can do some fireworks, but you aren't worth much otherwise, and what are you going to do, make puppy-eyes at the guards and hope your little trick works like it did?"
"As opposed to blowing the castle up and hoping Kikyo gets out alive?"
"You're a commoner," he said scornfully. "You don't know anything."
I could feel my nails digging into my palms, vision turning white around the edges for a moment until I got my anger under control. "I'm a commoner," I said, my voice quiet with controlled rage. "Which means I know how to fit in. I know how to get into a palace without attracting the attention of the entire military, which, considering the absolutely stellar job you just did back there I presume you don't."
"I get it," he said suddenly, a false look of enlightenment on his face. "You're going to walk in, find Kikyo, and walk out, is that it?"
"I've got news for you," I snapped. "Maybe back in Tetsui everything got handed to you on a silver platter. Maybe no one dared look at you cross-eyed, because you could rip them in half and get away with it. Maybe you were raised with the notion that anyone who doesn't live in a castle is the village idiot." My look turned hard and steely. "But guess what? We're not in Tetsui. Welcome to the real world, Prince Inuyasha. It's a lot harder out here."
"I don't need you," he said after a second, scowling furiously.
"Then you're hanging around here because?" I crossed my arms. "You know where Kikyo is. Why don't you try walking up to the King of Multaro and asking nicely? I'm sure he'll hand her right over."
"Screw you. I don't need your help."
"Oh, gee, where have I heard that before?" I turned around. "We'll see how well your plan works, won't we?"
"Fine!" The sense of his presence faded as a red dot soared overhead, and I let out a long sigh. Where exactly was I? If Grandfather's lessons had been correct, then since we'd headed west I'd be in the Forest of Arrows, named for the tribe that had once lived in here. The fastest way to get to Multaro was across the Little Sea, which would need a boat, but heading back to the port wasn't the most appealing of ideas at the moment. I personally had no desire to be captured again
A scream tore the air ahead of me, and I paused, blood running cold, then shoved my way through the foliage. Another cry broke through, then I stumbled into a clearing, only to find the bloody remains of what looked like a man.
Fire raced up and down my spine, and I whirled. Behind me was a giant spider with seven heads, though none had mouths. Then a gaping chasm opened where they all joined and a terrible reek came from it as it bared glittering fangs. Hairy legs seized the man's body and stuffed it into its mouth, horrible crunching sounds coming from within. Swallowing back vomit, I spotted the bow and arrows on the ground–the man had to have been a hunter–and seized them, trying to remember everything Kikyo had said when she'd been trying to help me learn to use them. Keep it steadyPull back as far as you can get itcome on, Kagome, do something right for once!
I loosed, and it shot straight at the spiderthen fell.
DAMMIT! I mentally yelled. DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT!
"Let's try this again," I hissed through gritted teeth. This time, I pulled it back to my ear, then fired. It actually hit the largest head's eye–
And then an explosion knocked me flat. It didn't hurt me or anything, but a blast of wind had rushed from where the spider was and where there was now a scorch mark. A very large one, granted, but still a scorch mark.
"Well," I muttered numbly, "maybe now I can get Souta to listen to me"
I found myself wondering what Inuyasha would do if he'd seen that, and then the sense prickled at the very edge of my conscious–but there was something wrong, very wrongFrowning, I closed my eyes and concentrated on it, trying to reach for something beyond my grasp–
I was rushing over hill and valley, then in a burst of blue over the Little Sea. A grayish blurb became a castle; a red blotch became Inuyasha, but something wasn't right
He was holding his left arm, and an arrow protruded from his shoulder. When he moved his hand I could see blood dripping from them: he was shaking. There was something about that arrow
"Blades of Blood!" Razor-like red light shattered on a dark shield around a tower, and I could see a woman inside, also with a bow and arrows, dressed in black. She smirked.
"You'll have to do better than that, halfling," she taunted. "Much better." Another arrow flew through the shield and struck his knee this time, a burst of black-purple power blooming when it hit.
A Dark Priestess, I realized with a sinking heart. Trust Multaro to hire a Dark Priestess. They were immune to demon magic, yet wielded it themselves like it was their own for anyone who lined their pockets with enough gold. This one was good, tooInuyasha didn't have a chance.
An arrow struck him in the forearm this time, and he bit back a cry of pain. I watched with horror–maybe he was a complete asshole, but he'd at least come to rescue me, and I didn't want to see him die.
Black power streaked out, and an arrow struck him in the middle of his chest. He cried out at the same time I did.
"INUYASHA!"
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Pain racked his entire body: three arrows in him was three arrows too many.
He should have known Multaro would do something like hire a Dark Priestess. By capturing and executing Kikyo, it was a direct insult to Tetsui, and they'd need demon-proof protection in case something happened before they could act. And here he was, fighting a losing battle. He was doomed, and Kikyo was stuck.
So maybe that bitch in the forest had been rightMaybe she'd actually get Kikyo back. They were nothing alike, despite the physical resemblanceshe had a–a fire in her, one that Kikyo either lacked or never showed
Here he was dying, and he was thinking about the first girl ever to call him a pompous jackass. Well, at least to his face.
It wasn't the first time that it crossed his mind that he truly was really, really messed up.
Something thudded into his chest, and iron claws of pain locked into him. He couldn't bite back a cry anymore, but something else was there
Sound rippled across the sky, flickering in and out like a faulty speaking spell. "I–InuYash–Yasha-a.."
Was that Kagome's voice?
Fingers of blue-white slowly blossomed into a star-like shape and a burning figure stepped out, blazing the same blue-white and standing on thin air. An arc of light became a bow, a dart an arrow, and it drew it, then fired straight at the Dark Priestess.
The shield shattered as his vision clouded black, then cleared in time to see the Dark Priestess appear in front of him.
Something was ringed around his neck, something infinitely heavy, and then a shaft of light speared the woman. "Child–!" she hissed, then disintegrated, and the last thing he saw was the white figure running towards him.
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I had barely seized the front of his haori when he slumped over, and then the blazing white flickered. I was rushing back across the land again, only this time holding onto the unconscious Inuyasha for dear life, and then with a snap I was–back. His weight rested entirely on me, and I fell instantly, then rolled him over, wincing as the arrows snapped. Whatever I'd done back there, I had to do it again, or somehow I knew he would die. Clenching my fist, I tensed my entire body, squeezed my eyes shut, and thought really hard, I wish the arrows would disappear. I wish the arrows would disappear.
No glowing. No creating a bow out of light and air. No lighting up like a burning squirrel.'
"Well, great," I sighed. "I'll just have to do it the old-fashioned way." Leaning over, I brushed the arrow in his chest–and it disappeared. "Or we could do it that way." I frowned, wondering if I could find a way to call up the power when I needed it, not whenever I got pissed off. This time, I brought my hand close to the arrow in his forearm. A feeling like cool threads weaving down my veins and tightening started building, then shifted to the warmth of fire when I grasped the shaft. It had felt like something in my heart had pulsed and then sent a flash of power, but it was getting harder. I tried to create that same feeling, and after a moment my hand started glowing again, but then faded, the light I felt flickering.
Something then pulsed–not my heart, but something warm and strong within me, and I was filled with new strength. I dissolved the last remaining arrows, then sat back, rubbing my forehead. First he was offering to show me how it felt to be ripped in half, and then I was saving his life.
Yep. I hated my life.
He shuddered, and his eyes half-opened. Eerily, dark power was bleeding into the gold , and they shifted blearily over to me. "Witch!" he gasped, struggling to get up.
"What?!" I scrambled back rapidly as he stood, faltering.
"Bitch!" Inuyasha stared at me, and the black grew more intense.
Then I had to throw myself to the side as a new hole appeared right where I was, Inuyasha's claws still in the earth.
It's some kind of spell, she did something right before I killed her–
That's all fine and dandy, but how the HELL do I get it off of him?!
He was making another pass–I wasn't fast enough to avoid this one, and my weird powers weren't really up to snuff–
I yelled out the first thing that came to mind, eyes squeezed shut again. "SIT!"
Thumpf.
"SHIT!"
I opened my eyes only to find Inuyasha completely face-planted in the ground. He looked up, spat out a mouthful of grass and dirt, and yelled, "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO ME?!Kagome?!" He blinked, and I realized the black was gone. "I thoughtbut that's not the point! What the hell is this thing?" He tried to lift the necklace, straining, but nothing happened.
"I don't know!" I glared at him. "And the next time I save your ass, I'd really appreciate it if you didn't try to use me as a scratching post!"
He got back to his feet again, wincing a bit, and snapped, "I didn't do anything. I was trying to kill that Dark Priestess."
"Yeah, hate to break it to you, champ, but that was me." Rubbing my face, I leaned against the tree and muttered, "I think I need to sit down."
Whumpf.
"GODDAMMITBITCHWHATTHEHELLISTHISSHITDOYOUTHINKIT'SGODDAMNFUNNY–" The cursing continued on for quite a while this time. I regarded the whole thing with raised eyebrows and a thoughtful expression.
Now rather grubby, Inuyasha got to his feet once more. "Sit," I said placidly, and watched bemusedly as he slammed into the ground. "Oh, would you look at that." He was yelling something, but I couldn't quite hear it because his face was still pressed into the ground. That probably was a good thing.
After quite a few obscenities, Inuyasha finally managed to sit up, giving me a look that would strip the paint off a house. "You can stop that now."
"I'll keep it in mind." I slid down the trunk as to be on eye-level and asked, "What are we gonna do about Kikyo?"
"Hell if I know." He snorted.
I stared at the ground. The animosity had died down, but we weren't going to get very far if we didn't work together.
I absentmindedly picked at a thread on my sleeve, wishing I still had the warm robes I'd worn when I was posing as Kikyo. My clothing at the moment was prison garb, a rough sackcloth tunic over an undyed cotton shirt and loose leggings. They'd let me keep my boots. It wasn't exactly the fashion of royalty; in fact, if it was ripped and dirtier, it'd look like a slave's garments
An idea formed in my mind–I didn't really like it, but it would work "I think I know what to do," I said slowly.
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"A slave." The king of Multaro glanced down at me, lip curled in mild disgust from where I prostrated myself before him, trying not to give us away by letting my mouth open, because then some acidic reply would fly out, I just knew it. My face was smudged with dirt and my clothes torn and ragged beyond recognition. No one would recognize me as the "princess" they'd sent to execution.
"As a token of goodwill," Inuyasha said, sounding careless. "With Kikyo dead, the marriage contract is dissolved, and now Tetsui can declare war on Shirome. We've wanted to do it for some time now–the demons came from our kingdom, actually, and that's what drove out the bitch in the first place. This one's been in ourservice for a long time, and she knows how to work and how to keep quiet. We'd send more, but with war preparations we can't spare any more."
"Hm. Yes, well, we highly appreciate this gift. The official ambassadors will be arriving tomorrow, you say?"
"Yes," he said smoothly. "They were delayed when the carriage broke down, being human, but they sent me ahead with the slave to ensure our intentions are clear."
"I see." He stroked his beard. "We thank you, Prince Inuyasha. I am sure you are concerned for your companions, so we will attend to this young woman." He snapped his fingers, and an attendant came rushing to his side. "Take this slave and instruct her in her duties."
She nodded and jerked her head, and I scrambled to my feet. The voices in the reception faded, replaced by footsteps as we trailed down the hall. "You will serve any noble who requests it," she said woodenly. "You must do what they tell you immediately and without question, no matter what the want you to do." She paused, then added, "Some of the noblemen will make certain requests. It would do you the most good to serve' one in particular–if he takes you as a concubine, you will be his property only and none other mayask you to serve' them–without his permission, that is." She glanced back at me. "You have impeccable timing, girl. The nighttime is when most of us can rest." We came to a door and she opened it. "These are the slave quarters. Find an empty pallet and write your name on the wall over it. Once you enter the pallet chamber, you will not leave until the headmaster excuses you. You start service at dawn tomorrow, and you may only leave the castle either in attendance of a noble or with written permission and the brand of the signet ring." She held the door open and I hesitantly walked in.
The open hall stretched on and on, barred chambers on either side, some with shapes in the sparse pallets within, some with women standing or sitting in them. Eyes followed my progress down the hall, and I entered the first empty cell I found, then lit the candle inside. The walls were stone, the pallet the only other flammable thing within.
"That way, you can't burn down the quarters and save us all," a dead voice said from across the hall. A woman stared at me with dull eyes, her face thin and her clothes ragged. "Death is better than this hell." She showed me a burn on her arm. "You can try to commit suicide, but they spell the pallets to burn only for enough time to teach us a lesson' and let us live."
I swallowed and slid down the wall. I'd known the slave system of Multaro's castle, and the plan was fairly simple, but I'd need to make sure Kikyo was in here first. I didn't know how to sense her, but I remembered vaguely how it had felt right before I'd transported my mind and powers to here in order to help Inuyasha. I called up the feeling again, then felt the same sense of detachment and opened my eyes.
I was floating over my body. Looking at my hand, I found it was glowing white-blue. "Very nice," I murmured. Passing through the bars with ease, I drifted down the hall, looking in each for Kikyo. Each held a sorry creature that had once been a woman, but none of them looked at me.
Then I entered a cell as the figure on the pallet sat up. The young woman turned, and her eyes landed on me. "Kagome?!"
"Hi there," I said cheerily. "Guess we're similar in more ways than one, huh?"
"What are you doing here?" she asked softly. "I thought you were dead."
"Well, let's see, I've nearly died" I did a quick tally on my fingers. "Three times now. I nearly did get my head taken off, but your oh-so-charming boyfriend showed up."
Her eyebrows nearly shot off her forehead. "Inuyasha?!"
"In the half-demon flesh," I said dryly.
"Listen" She hesitated, then said, "I'm sorry. This really isn't right, and Iwas trying to tell myself that it was destiny, that it was meant to be and that it wasn't wrong to take you away like we did. When I realized that you were going to die instead of me, it hit me that it wasn't right at all, and"
"I understand." I was just glad that she'd lost her high-and-mighty airs. "Hey, the first thing that crossed my mind when I met Inuyasha was that if I had him for a betrothed I wouldn't be all sunshine-and-daisies either."
She laughed softly. "What happened after he saved you?"
"We were over the Forest of Arrows when he let me talk long enough to tell him that I wasn't you. And then he dropped me." I sighed. "I started glowing and didn't fall quite as hard, and then wehad a discussion."
She let out a very un-Princess Kikyo-like snort. "I'll bet."
"Oh, I burned his hand and spat in his face," I said lightly. "He deserved them both, though. And then when I pointed out that going to get you in broad daylight with no plan other than blow the castle up' just might not work, he decided to go prove it and Idon't know what happened. I guess I just knew he was in trouble–he was fighting the Dark Priestess–and my mind rushed over here, killed her, and got us both out." I shrugged. "He had a couple arrows in him and she put this necklace on him that makes him fall down whenever I say Sit', and he can't take it off. He's not so bad, I guess, you just have to get used to him." She mutely nodded as I went on. "We decided I'd pose as a slave and he'd B.S. up a bunch of stuff about you being dead and so the treaty gone and that Multaro and Tetsui could join in war against Shirome, and I'd just be a goodwill gesture. The rest of the ambassadors were mysteriously delayed.' Tomorrow, he's going to demand both of our presences and then give us permission to leave, and then we're home free from there. The king thinks Tetsui's his ally right now, he won't be expecting anything like this."
Kikyo smiled slightly. "You've got this all planned outI'm very impressed."
"Hey, it's not so bad." I grinned. "I mean, look at the health benefits." I felt the spell flicker. "I've got to go, I'm running down a bit and we've got a big day ahead of us."
"Go." She made shooing motions, a real smile on her face. As I left, I missed the look in her eyes as she settled back down and stared at the ceiling, but it had changed from the haughty princess to someonedifferent.
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"Get up, girl."
I squinted grumpily at the hazy figure, then remembered what was going on and hurriedly stood up. "Yes, headmaster?"
"Prince Inuyasha requests you," he said blandly. "Number 384 too. She will take you to his chambers."
"Yes, headmaster." I saw Kikyo standing next to him.
He passed a hand over the door and I stepped out. Kikyo and I walked down the hall, not talking. Any sign of familiarity would blow our plan. We reached Inuyasha's chambers soon enough and were admitted with no problem.
He glanced up when we entered, and the look in his eyes when he saw Kikyo made me feel odd.
Well, they are betrothed, I reminded myself. They've known each other for a while. I don't know why I'd be surprised. Nevertheless, I still felt decidedly strange, like there was a knot in my stomach.
"I need something picked up at the marketplace," he said coolly. "I trust you, 402, but it will require two. You will meet my man at the Running Hare Inn." He handed me a slip of paper. We bowed and left.
Kikyo silently led us through the halls, and we passed the guards with relative ease after showing them the note. We'd just passed the outer gate when a figure in red flew over us: Inuyasha.
The look on Kikyo's face right then was one I'd only caught a glimpse of in his chambers, though after a moment she shook her head and we continued.
The "hooded stranger" who met us at the inn nodded briefly, then started walking. We followed him through the streets and then finally came to the gates of the city walls. This was it: all we had to do was pass through here and we were home free. I cleared them, looking like an attendant of the hooded noble, and Kikyo was following us.
Then an enormous wailing arose. She froze as we stared back at her. "I can'tmove," she whispered.
It hit me: that was why none of the slaves had escaped. They had some kind of time-lapse spell, and she was bound by it.
A whistle sounded, and guards started running towards us. She paled, then narrowed her eyes and reached inside her robes. Three small cylinders lay in the palm of her hand, glowing faintly, each encircled with a red seal that had the marks of repeated attempts of breaking it but each unsuccessful. "Keep the scrolls safe," she whispered. "They're only after me and they will search me for stolen goods, and if they find these"
The guards were getting closer. She pressed the scrolls into my hands and shouted, "Run!"
"But–"
"RUN!" The look in her eyes begged for me not to argue.
I was seized around the waist and then the ground fell away: Inuyasha had me. "Inuyasha, we can't just leave her!" I protested. "How am I supposed to guard the scrolls? I can't even manage getting–"
"Shut up," he said tersely. "Just shut up."
I glanced up at him, startled, and saw the pain in his eyes. It hit me that it was probably the hardest thing for him to do, leaving Kikyo behind.
And all this over three little scrolls
I opened my hands to see what was so special about them–and nearly dropped them.
The red seal was broken. They had opened.
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Being that it's 7:54 and the bus comes at 8, I'd better get outta here.