Disclaimer: I owe Inuyasha as much as I can say that I invented Ramune
soda, the soda with a refreshing and addictive fizz!
A/N: Anyways. Here I am.two-three days with an update (yay! Sticking to your word is fun!) In other news though, I want to recommend to all who read this fanfic to go to a Japanese festival if they can because I just got back from one and I am so happy that I went. I saw many martial arts demonstrations and saw a performance with Japanese drums! On top of that, I got to eat some Pan-Asian cuisine (yaki-soba) and drink about four bottles of Ramune soda (which like I already stated is delightfully fizzy!) So go, if you can.it was crazy-go nuts (Strongbad from Homestarrunner.com)! On with the fic.hopefully there'll be an update soon but only my school schedule this week will dictate that.
Chapter 12: Inuyasha's dilemma and Kikyou's problem
The time has finally come for the Sengoku Jidai circus' third show in Osaka. Only four more shows were left and the circus would pack up and move up on to the next city. Sesshoumaru always liked Osaka because the crowds were plentiful and so were the revenue and profits that the circus received. Sesshoumaru was also very pleased for another reason: he had Kagome under his thumb. He knew that the girl did not like him romantically but he also knew that she would do anything to keep the Flying Higurashi's performing with the Sengoku Jidai Circus.
Sesshoumaru had the feeling that his circus was recovering quite well now that the Flying Higurashi's were here. He had it all, a recovering circus, talented performers, and an upper hand over Naraku's circus (at least at the moment anyway). He thought to himself that Kikyou leaving the Sengoku Jidai circus maybe was the best thing that could have happened to them.
He still grieved for his brother and his weak emotions but he knew that sooner or later he would learn how to ignore the memory of Kikyou and her deceit toward himself and the circus.
Yet, Sesshoumaru was still worried because when Kikyou left the circus she left as an enemy working with his rival. Sesshoumaru had a feeling that Kikyou was the one that tampered with the trapeze on Naraku's order. Naraku did not get the chance to hire the most infamous trapeze group in Japan, so he had to tarnish their name by making Kagome fall from the trapeze on her opening night.
Sesshoumaru also had the feeling that it wouldn't be the last time that Kikyou would tamper with anything even with the presence of the security guards (which were no more intelligent than trained Baboons in his eyes). Kikyou was a clever girl, one of the cleverest women that he had ever met. It wasn't very fortunate to have a clever enemy; however, in a way, Sesshoumaru was intrigued and tempted by the challenge. At least he knew that the next couple of months on tour would be interesting. Sesshoumaru leaned back into his cushy leather office chair and said aloud, "May the best circus win Naraku. We won't fall that easily!"
Inuyasha had no idea how to get out of the show that was coming up in the evening. The dancers were dancing around the three rings before every act came on and Kagome was bound to see him in his "demonic form" tonight.
He thought that maybe he should tell her before the show so that there would be no shocking surprise for her tonight. Inuyasha shook his head and said aloud, "Yay I can just hear the wording of that confession: Listen Kagome, I dress up as a demon and scare the audience senseless; isn't that great for my self-esteem!"
".isn't what great for your self-esteem? Why are you talking to yourself?" questioned a very tired looking Kagome who walked in the animal tent in the middle of Inuyasha's statement.
"Nothing wench! Why did you come in here without knockin'? Don't you know that it's rude!" informed Inuyasha coldly.
Kagome looked at him with no mood to argue and said, "May I remind you that you snuck into my dressing room without knocking while I was changing; the nerve of you to lecture me on politeness. Anyway, I'm not in the mood to argue with you right now because Madam Adele and her cult are HORRIBLE CREATURES!"
"Yay, they're a stuck up bunch aren't they?" asked Inuyasha.
Kagome nodded and added, "Not only that, they had the nerve to call you a monster saying that when you're on stage that you purposefully scare the audience. I mean I saw you on stage the first night innocently leading the elephants around the ring hiding behind that red cloak of yours. I think that they are the monsters, both the Adele dancers and the audience. They should know that you can't tell a book by its cover and that it matters what's in here (Kagome putting her hand over her heart).
Inuyasha tried to keep his cool. Not only were those dancers stuck up but dirty gossips. Inuyasha wondered if he should tell her the truth now. It seemed as if she did care what Inuyasha did on stage; she knew him, the Inuyasha behind the demon costume.
However, on the other hand, how could he just tell her that the dancers were telling the truth, that he really did purposefully scared innocent children and other audience members?
Inuyasha wasn't great with words or seeing others express negative emotions (like tears); and the combination of the two just scared and confused him. What if she got so upset with her that he lied to her that she began to cry? He hated it when girls cried. He especially didn't want to see her cry.
Yet, what if when she saw him tonight in the middle of his act and cried anyway because SHE found out that he had lied to her? Inuyasha tried to weight the options in his mind but he noticed instead the quizzical look on Kagome's face.
"Inuyasha? Helllllooooooo earth to Inuyasha!! My, your lost in though what are you thinking so deeply about?"
"Nothing." lied Inuyasha. "Listen I got to go. I'll see you tonight! Try to get along with the other girls because they'll be your co-workers till your wrists heal!"
Inuyasha left quickly after he mumbled that statement to Kagome. He would definitely try to find Kagome before he went on and explain things to her. Under no circumstances was he going to let her find out for herself. He had a feeling that she would be more hurt if things were to turn out that way. He was also thankful for the time before he could at least work out the right way to break it to her so he wouldn't look like a bumbling idiot.
In a circus not too many kilometers away a tall curly haired man dressed in a white baboon pelt beckoned to Kikyou. Kikyou kneeled down in front of him and hissed his title through her clenched teeth. Kikyou stood up when he told her that he had a mission for her. He explained the plan in detail and she nodded and pretended to pay attention. After he explained to her what she was supposed to do he got up and headed off to his office.
Kikyou hissed obscenities under her breath as she walked over to dressing room and slammed the door behind her. She headed over to the sequenced costume and reluctantly put it on her body. She sat down by her mirror and started to apply her make-up heavily as she lost herself in thought.
~Flashback Sequence~
Kikyou, on top of a hill underneath the glistening night sky looked down on the small village where she had grown up. She began to remember the time when her father and mother owned a small rice farm and her little sister, Kaede, and her helped out their parents on the farm.
Kikyou and Kaede's parents wanted their daughters to have better lives than they had so when they discovered that Kikyou had a talent for the trapeze they signed her up with a personal trainer who said could bring out her talent to the fullest.
Yet, much to the family's dismay Kaede did not share the talent. The family found out soon that the number of pupils did change the cost of the training significantly. In order to pay for the lessons, her parents both got other jobs in neighboring villages while Kaede stayed and tended to the rice fields.
Kikyou learned and excelled at the trapeze; after three years worth of vigorous training, she got a job at the Sengoku Jidai circus. She was excited for her future but also wanted to repay her family for the training that got her the position with the circus. So, she decided to mail half of her paycheck to her family each two weeks.
Kikyou snapped out of her memory and started to walk down the hill nervous and excited about seeing her family again after so long of a time. It had been about two years since she had seen them in person. She couldn't contain her excitement so she began to run. She had to make to visit short but sweet anyway because she had snuck out of her dressing room and away from the circus before a show in order to come visit them. If Sesshoumaru had known that she had snuck out without his permission, he would throttle her for sure. She ran quickly toward the door and threw it open only to find a strange man in a white baboon pelt sitting at the dinner table across from her younger sister Kaede.
Kikyou almost as soon as she burst threw the door looked to Kaede and said, "Kaede, you know that you aren't supposed to let strangers in while Mama and Papa are away!"
Kaede looking saddened by the news of her mother and father responded, "I don't think that they'll care too much because they're dead."
"What do you mean.why didn't I know?" questioned a confused Kikyou
"Because if I would have told you then you would have sent less money to us; at least that's what Naraku told me" replied Kaede.
"Who the hell is Naraku? Why does he have a say over the things you do, Kaede?"
"Mama and Papa gave him custody of me before they died. You know that an eight year-old can't survive on her own. He was Mama's and Papa's boss, so they thought that I would be in good hands.living with a wealthy man and all" continued Kaede.
"Why don't you come with me Kaede to the Sengoku Jidai Circus?"
The man in the baboon pelt who Kikyou assumed was Naraku got up and motioned for Kaede to hold her tongue and let him answer her question. He removed his hood to reveal a very feminine but oddly-handsome curly- haired man with blood-red eyes. He pulled out a legal paper from inside his white pelt and showed it to Kikyou.
"You see, Kikyou, Kaede is my property. Here are your parents' signatures on the custody document. They didn't want to trouble you as the raising trapeze star with a burden like Kaede. Additionally, I don't think that ole Sesshoumaru would like to have a no-talent brat like Kaede running around his circus."
Kikyou shooting daggers at Naraku shouted back, "Kaede is not a burden to me, she's my younger sister. There must be some way to get the right to custody for her? Does there need to be a court hearing or can we strike some kind of deal?"
Naraku looking pleased with her propositioned smiled to her and responded, "A deal, eh? You see I own my own circus but, we've been having some financial problems of late. I'll hand over this document to you if you get all the money from Sesshoumaru's safe and deliver it to me. Of course, you wouldn't be able to go back to the Sengoku Jidai circus after an act like that so be prepared to start a new life with your sister after that. Now, do we have an accord or not?"
Kikyou looking a bit apprehensive asked, "So all I would have to do is get the money, deliver it to you and Kaede is in my custody and out of yours?"
"Precisely!" replied Naraku
"Okay, we have an agreement" stated Kikyou before she rushed out of the house and back toward the Sengoku Jidai circus to put her plans into action as soon as possible.
However, what Kikyou did not see was the shocked expression on Kaede's little face and the pleased look on Naraku's face.
~End of Flashback~
Kikyou had finished applying her make-up and looked at herself in the mirror. Look at her.Naraku's property! It was true that Kaede was now under her custody but what Kikyou had not realized was that her parents had signed her over to Naraku as well in case her career had failed and she would have had to come home.
The terms of the deal were that Kaede was to be released only. Now Kikyou was stuck to do Naraku's every whim or be punished for disobeying her legal guardian's orders. How could she have been so stupid and agree so quickly to Naraku's proposition?
She had often wondered why her parents had signed both her and Kaede to such an evil man; also, her parents' deaths and how exactly Naraku had forced them to give custody over them still remained a mystery to her.
Kaede knew but wouldn't tell in fear of Naraku and what he would do to her if Kikyou would find out; so, she didn't try to push the information from her. All that she knew was that she hated her "step- father" with every fiber of her being.
She was determined to find a way out of her servitude to him. One day she and Kaede would be free of Naraku and of all his evil. However, until that day she had to help him crumble the Sengoku Jidai into ashes. Poor Inuyasha, she thought to herself, as she walked out her dressing room, into the forest, and toward the Sengoku Jidai Circus' last performance in Osaka-a performance that she would help make rememberable!
A/N: Anyways. Here I am.two-three days with an update (yay! Sticking to your word is fun!) In other news though, I want to recommend to all who read this fanfic to go to a Japanese festival if they can because I just got back from one and I am so happy that I went. I saw many martial arts demonstrations and saw a performance with Japanese drums! On top of that, I got to eat some Pan-Asian cuisine (yaki-soba) and drink about four bottles of Ramune soda (which like I already stated is delightfully fizzy!) So go, if you can.it was crazy-go nuts (Strongbad from Homestarrunner.com)! On with the fic.hopefully there'll be an update soon but only my school schedule this week will dictate that.
Chapter 12: Inuyasha's dilemma and Kikyou's problem
The time has finally come for the Sengoku Jidai circus' third show in Osaka. Only four more shows were left and the circus would pack up and move up on to the next city. Sesshoumaru always liked Osaka because the crowds were plentiful and so were the revenue and profits that the circus received. Sesshoumaru was also very pleased for another reason: he had Kagome under his thumb. He knew that the girl did not like him romantically but he also knew that she would do anything to keep the Flying Higurashi's performing with the Sengoku Jidai Circus.
Sesshoumaru had the feeling that his circus was recovering quite well now that the Flying Higurashi's were here. He had it all, a recovering circus, talented performers, and an upper hand over Naraku's circus (at least at the moment anyway). He thought to himself that Kikyou leaving the Sengoku Jidai circus maybe was the best thing that could have happened to them.
He still grieved for his brother and his weak emotions but he knew that sooner or later he would learn how to ignore the memory of Kikyou and her deceit toward himself and the circus.
Yet, Sesshoumaru was still worried because when Kikyou left the circus she left as an enemy working with his rival. Sesshoumaru had a feeling that Kikyou was the one that tampered with the trapeze on Naraku's order. Naraku did not get the chance to hire the most infamous trapeze group in Japan, so he had to tarnish their name by making Kagome fall from the trapeze on her opening night.
Sesshoumaru also had the feeling that it wouldn't be the last time that Kikyou would tamper with anything even with the presence of the security guards (which were no more intelligent than trained Baboons in his eyes). Kikyou was a clever girl, one of the cleverest women that he had ever met. It wasn't very fortunate to have a clever enemy; however, in a way, Sesshoumaru was intrigued and tempted by the challenge. At least he knew that the next couple of months on tour would be interesting. Sesshoumaru leaned back into his cushy leather office chair and said aloud, "May the best circus win Naraku. We won't fall that easily!"
Inuyasha had no idea how to get out of the show that was coming up in the evening. The dancers were dancing around the three rings before every act came on and Kagome was bound to see him in his "demonic form" tonight.
He thought that maybe he should tell her before the show so that there would be no shocking surprise for her tonight. Inuyasha shook his head and said aloud, "Yay I can just hear the wording of that confession: Listen Kagome, I dress up as a demon and scare the audience senseless; isn't that great for my self-esteem!"
".isn't what great for your self-esteem? Why are you talking to yourself?" questioned a very tired looking Kagome who walked in the animal tent in the middle of Inuyasha's statement.
"Nothing wench! Why did you come in here without knockin'? Don't you know that it's rude!" informed Inuyasha coldly.
Kagome looked at him with no mood to argue and said, "May I remind you that you snuck into my dressing room without knocking while I was changing; the nerve of you to lecture me on politeness. Anyway, I'm not in the mood to argue with you right now because Madam Adele and her cult are HORRIBLE CREATURES!"
"Yay, they're a stuck up bunch aren't they?" asked Inuyasha.
Kagome nodded and added, "Not only that, they had the nerve to call you a monster saying that when you're on stage that you purposefully scare the audience. I mean I saw you on stage the first night innocently leading the elephants around the ring hiding behind that red cloak of yours. I think that they are the monsters, both the Adele dancers and the audience. They should know that you can't tell a book by its cover and that it matters what's in here (Kagome putting her hand over her heart).
Inuyasha tried to keep his cool. Not only were those dancers stuck up but dirty gossips. Inuyasha wondered if he should tell her the truth now. It seemed as if she did care what Inuyasha did on stage; she knew him, the Inuyasha behind the demon costume.
However, on the other hand, how could he just tell her that the dancers were telling the truth, that he really did purposefully scared innocent children and other audience members?
Inuyasha wasn't great with words or seeing others express negative emotions (like tears); and the combination of the two just scared and confused him. What if she got so upset with her that he lied to her that she began to cry? He hated it when girls cried. He especially didn't want to see her cry.
Yet, what if when she saw him tonight in the middle of his act and cried anyway because SHE found out that he had lied to her? Inuyasha tried to weight the options in his mind but he noticed instead the quizzical look on Kagome's face.
"Inuyasha? Helllllooooooo earth to Inuyasha!! My, your lost in though what are you thinking so deeply about?"
"Nothing." lied Inuyasha. "Listen I got to go. I'll see you tonight! Try to get along with the other girls because they'll be your co-workers till your wrists heal!"
Inuyasha left quickly after he mumbled that statement to Kagome. He would definitely try to find Kagome before he went on and explain things to her. Under no circumstances was he going to let her find out for herself. He had a feeling that she would be more hurt if things were to turn out that way. He was also thankful for the time before he could at least work out the right way to break it to her so he wouldn't look like a bumbling idiot.
In a circus not too many kilometers away a tall curly haired man dressed in a white baboon pelt beckoned to Kikyou. Kikyou kneeled down in front of him and hissed his title through her clenched teeth. Kikyou stood up when he told her that he had a mission for her. He explained the plan in detail and she nodded and pretended to pay attention. After he explained to her what she was supposed to do he got up and headed off to his office.
Kikyou hissed obscenities under her breath as she walked over to dressing room and slammed the door behind her. She headed over to the sequenced costume and reluctantly put it on her body. She sat down by her mirror and started to apply her make-up heavily as she lost herself in thought.
~Flashback Sequence~
Kikyou, on top of a hill underneath the glistening night sky looked down on the small village where she had grown up. She began to remember the time when her father and mother owned a small rice farm and her little sister, Kaede, and her helped out their parents on the farm.
Kikyou and Kaede's parents wanted their daughters to have better lives than they had so when they discovered that Kikyou had a talent for the trapeze they signed her up with a personal trainer who said could bring out her talent to the fullest.
Yet, much to the family's dismay Kaede did not share the talent. The family found out soon that the number of pupils did change the cost of the training significantly. In order to pay for the lessons, her parents both got other jobs in neighboring villages while Kaede stayed and tended to the rice fields.
Kikyou learned and excelled at the trapeze; after three years worth of vigorous training, she got a job at the Sengoku Jidai circus. She was excited for her future but also wanted to repay her family for the training that got her the position with the circus. So, she decided to mail half of her paycheck to her family each two weeks.
Kikyou snapped out of her memory and started to walk down the hill nervous and excited about seeing her family again after so long of a time. It had been about two years since she had seen them in person. She couldn't contain her excitement so she began to run. She had to make to visit short but sweet anyway because she had snuck out of her dressing room and away from the circus before a show in order to come visit them. If Sesshoumaru had known that she had snuck out without his permission, he would throttle her for sure. She ran quickly toward the door and threw it open only to find a strange man in a white baboon pelt sitting at the dinner table across from her younger sister Kaede.
Kikyou almost as soon as she burst threw the door looked to Kaede and said, "Kaede, you know that you aren't supposed to let strangers in while Mama and Papa are away!"
Kaede looking saddened by the news of her mother and father responded, "I don't think that they'll care too much because they're dead."
"What do you mean.why didn't I know?" questioned a confused Kikyou
"Because if I would have told you then you would have sent less money to us; at least that's what Naraku told me" replied Kaede.
"Who the hell is Naraku? Why does he have a say over the things you do, Kaede?"
"Mama and Papa gave him custody of me before they died. You know that an eight year-old can't survive on her own. He was Mama's and Papa's boss, so they thought that I would be in good hands.living with a wealthy man and all" continued Kaede.
"Why don't you come with me Kaede to the Sengoku Jidai Circus?"
The man in the baboon pelt who Kikyou assumed was Naraku got up and motioned for Kaede to hold her tongue and let him answer her question. He removed his hood to reveal a very feminine but oddly-handsome curly- haired man with blood-red eyes. He pulled out a legal paper from inside his white pelt and showed it to Kikyou.
"You see, Kikyou, Kaede is my property. Here are your parents' signatures on the custody document. They didn't want to trouble you as the raising trapeze star with a burden like Kaede. Additionally, I don't think that ole Sesshoumaru would like to have a no-talent brat like Kaede running around his circus."
Kikyou shooting daggers at Naraku shouted back, "Kaede is not a burden to me, she's my younger sister. There must be some way to get the right to custody for her? Does there need to be a court hearing or can we strike some kind of deal?"
Naraku looking pleased with her propositioned smiled to her and responded, "A deal, eh? You see I own my own circus but, we've been having some financial problems of late. I'll hand over this document to you if you get all the money from Sesshoumaru's safe and deliver it to me. Of course, you wouldn't be able to go back to the Sengoku Jidai circus after an act like that so be prepared to start a new life with your sister after that. Now, do we have an accord or not?"
Kikyou looking a bit apprehensive asked, "So all I would have to do is get the money, deliver it to you and Kaede is in my custody and out of yours?"
"Precisely!" replied Naraku
"Okay, we have an agreement" stated Kikyou before she rushed out of the house and back toward the Sengoku Jidai circus to put her plans into action as soon as possible.
However, what Kikyou did not see was the shocked expression on Kaede's little face and the pleased look on Naraku's face.
~End of Flashback~
Kikyou had finished applying her make-up and looked at herself in the mirror. Look at her.Naraku's property! It was true that Kaede was now under her custody but what Kikyou had not realized was that her parents had signed her over to Naraku as well in case her career had failed and she would have had to come home.
The terms of the deal were that Kaede was to be released only. Now Kikyou was stuck to do Naraku's every whim or be punished for disobeying her legal guardian's orders. How could she have been so stupid and agree so quickly to Naraku's proposition?
She had often wondered why her parents had signed both her and Kaede to such an evil man; also, her parents' deaths and how exactly Naraku had forced them to give custody over them still remained a mystery to her.
Kaede knew but wouldn't tell in fear of Naraku and what he would do to her if Kikyou would find out; so, she didn't try to push the information from her. All that she knew was that she hated her "step- father" with every fiber of her being.
She was determined to find a way out of her servitude to him. One day she and Kaede would be free of Naraku and of all his evil. However, until that day she had to help him crumble the Sengoku Jidai into ashes. Poor Inuyasha, she thought to herself, as she walked out her dressing room, into the forest, and toward the Sengoku Jidai Circus' last performance in Osaka-a performance that she would help make rememberable!
