Edited: 11/23/11
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Snow White.
Black as Night, White as Snow
Chapter Two: Life Attempt
"This one has to go in," Kagome said excitedly as she hid a bright orange flower behind a scarlet rose. Turning to one of the plump rabbits watching her as she gathered flowers, she winked conspiratorially. "It gives the person who sniffs it a rash." Black eyes glittered back at her, and Kagome giggled as if the bunny was actually sharing in her amusement. "And this one will make her feel faint!" the blue-eyed woman exclaimed as she carefully grabbed a green, pink-stripped carnation while holding her breath. "Oh! Here's one that will give her an appetite for pickled fish gills! And one for an earache… This one will make her see clowns!"
Cradling the 'special' bouquet of flowers for her elder stepsister, Kagome searched the field for any more specific ones that she could add. Deciding that the current bunch would cause enough trouble for the queen, the girl picked a few harmless flowers like roses and daffodils to fill out the bouquet.
"I should give Kikyou a lot of balloon flowers, since they're her favorite. They are her namesake, after all." The blue jay perched on the sapling next to her eagerly nodded its head. A few bunnies hopped around her feet as Kagome began the long trek home. "I really should be nicer to her," Kagome mused out loud, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "Maybe I should take out the violet that will turn her face purple," she continued airily as a few butterflies flittered around her head while they listened. She was practically a walking zoo.
"I wouldn't, she deserves much worse," a man's voice drawled nearby, effectively startling the maid.
Kagome stumbled and spun around to find a rather handsome wolf demon sitting on a boulder watching her, his piercing eyes glinting in amusement. In his left hand he held a crossbow and in his right he held a… silver fork?
Ooh, feel the terror!
"Can I help you?" Kagome asked politely while still eyeing the eating utensil. It looks like the one that hangs on Kikyou's wall next to that axe from the ogre she poisoned last year, she realized.
"Actually, I think you can," the wolf told her conversationally as he loaded the fork in his crossbow in place of an arrow.
"Oh?"
"Yes. The queen has ordered your," here he pulled a disgusted face as he aimed the weapon at her heart, "tongue for dinner."
Kagome remained surprisingly calm. Well, surprisingly to Kouga. "Oh, let me guess. The heart thing?" she asked sweetly.
"Yes, something about a sore throat."
"You mean tummy ache?" Kagome asked.
"That's it!" Kouga snapped his fingers in an Oh, yeah! kind of way.
"What'd I do this time?" Kagome asked, still watching his hands carefully; he kept the crossbow level with her chest.
"This time?" the demon echoed while looking at what he thought had to be the most beautiful woman he had ever met. And he'd come across a lot of women in his life.
"Yeah. When I was four, while we were eating candy, Kikyou tried to push me into the kitchen oven. When I turned eight, she ordered a house dropped on me. A few years ago, she ordered a group of monkeys to be trained to wear fez hats and fly… It never worked, and I never really understood the point of it, but I have a feeling it was part of some far-fetched scheme to end my life." Kagome shrugged idly as though she were only telling him a bedtime story and recounting her tragic childhood.
"Flying, fez hat-wearing monkeys?"
Looking almost embarrassed for her stepsister, Kagome nodded.
Kouga had lowered the crossbow during all of this, momentarily distracted. "Why?"
Kagome, not at all scared of the good-looking demon, took a delicate step toward him. "The oven deal had to do with me being her 'reincarnation' or some other nonsense. The house thing was because I was wearing the Shikon no Tama, her favorite jewel. And the monkeys? Apparently I was wearing her color. I think, anyway. Kikyou's not exactly the easiest person in the world to figure out."
"Oh."
"Well?" Kagome asked.
"Well, what?"
"Aren't you going to kill me?" Kagome asked calmly, her stormy eyes sparkling.
Kouga eyed the woman up and down. She was wearing a thread-bare, brown kimono, nothing on her feet, and was surrounded by animals: birds and butterflies hovered above her head, rabbits and mice crowded around her feet, and flowers seemed to bloom in her wake. She looked like a myth or a goddess, like she had just stepped out of some fairytale. "No, I don't think I will." He walked to her swiftly, throwing the weapon aside; it landed far away in the field.
"Kikyou is going to want her fork back."
"Kagome," Kouga said dramatically as he swept her into his arms and clasped her dainty hands within his own. "Since you are now my woman, I promise to protect you."
Wait…
What?
Never before in her life had Kagome met this man. Okay, sure, he'd been ordered to come and kill her— she could deal with that; in fact, she'd been banking on him being a kind man based on what her gut was telling her. She had not expected him to be crazy. Kagome began to untangle herself from the wolf's arms. "Uhm… You do that. I think I'm going to just go… and…"
"I'll bring her some other animal's tongue," Kouga suddenly shouted enthusiastically even as Kagome backed away from him. "Kagome? Let's go!" Kouga turned on his heel and began marching in the direction of the castle.
While the young man had his back to her, Kagome exchanged a look with the doe at her elbow. "I think we should get out of here." The golden deer looked back at her with deep brown eyes, almost in agreement.
Hmm, let me get this straight, she thought. Her stepsister wanted her life yet again. But this time, the queen wasn't a child, and Kikyou could actually get it done if she set her mind to it. All Kikyou needed was a plan, and Kagome's tongue was sure to end up on the dinner menu. With Kikyou older and smarter…
Let's try that again. Kagome mentally backpedaled. With Kikyou older, Kagome had a much slimmer chance of getting away again. She just needed to hide out for a short time, at least until Kikyou calmed down, and it was safe to come home. A night ought to do it. In reality, Kikyou made attempts on her sister's life often and for small reasons, so Kagome had long since learned that she only needed to get away for awhile, and the queen would lose interest. So why was Kagome running scared now?
Because wolf demons run really fast.
"…And then we'll have lots of pups and live happily eve… Kagome?" Kouga turned around to find his true love long gone. "Oh, well, she probably needed to think over the wedding details," Kouga mused. Walking happily away, whistling a light-hearted tune, the wolf cut down a nearby boar and carved out its tongue. There was no way the queen could tell the difference.
…Right?
"Mmm, tongue… the other, other, other white meat," Kikyou said happily as she dug into the hunk of muscle steaming in the middle of her plate. Holding her precious silver fork, she said to the room (empty except for her white, snake-like, demon friends), "Grandmother would be proud of this fork! It helped out her favorite granddaughter." Despite her excitement, her voice remained monotonous.
Of course, Kikyou left out the fact that she was the only granddaughter.
Taking a sip out of her glass, a thought crossed her mind. What is it with this water? The castle well must be enchanted or something… It has tasted simply wonderful lately.
Kagome scurried through the woods. A while back, as the sun began to set, she had accidentally left the trail and was now lost in the forest. Not a good thing, in her mind. Long ago, the birds had left to feed their families, the rabbits had lagged behind, the butterflies had stayed with the flowers, and the deer had become just plain bored and ditched her.
She was all alone.
Well, unless she counted all the red eyes glowing eerily out at her from the shadows.
A shiver ran down the girl's spine, her momentary terror distracting her long enough that she tripped over a tree root hidden beneath some trees. "Omph!" She immediately sprawled over… And to the side… And off a small cliff… And onto the hard ground far below.
"Ouch," Kagome moaned while struggling to sit up. Deeming it safe after glancing around, the bruised female rubbed her aching backside with a wince. Frustrated tears formed in her eyes, and she struggled against them, watching the surrounding trees.
It was dark, and the trees seemed oddly black and bent in the nighttime. Leaves rustled, and she could feel eyes on her again. As desperation and stupidity took hold, Kagome began to see jagged, open mouths and gaunt, empty eyes in the tree trunks. Creaking and groaning rang out through the deserted woods and a heavy footstep sounded behind her. Kagome's eyes widened, and she turned sharply around to face the new threat. Her mouth opened wide as sound began to show her surprise and shock as she…
Laughed?
The tiny cat demon cocked her furry head to one side, and her blood red eyes studied the woman in front of her. It tentatively took a step forward and eyed the stranger cautiously. Kagome bent down and began to lovingly stroke the cat's feather-soft fur with gentle fingers. "Aw," she cooed to the feline in front of her, "Aren't you adorable?"
"Mew?"
"Oh, I'm fine. I was expecting a bear or something, but you're much more welcome."
"Mew?"
"No… Well… Actually, yes. I am lost, I guess. But it doesn't matter. I have nowhere to stay tonight, but I don't want to sleep on the ground. Do you know of any good places?"
"Mew."
"Oh, wonderful! Lead the way, please." Kagome trustingly followed the sure-footed feline. She'd always gotten along with all animals, whether demon or regular. Although she enjoyed the company of any kind of animal, she preferred cats. Shortly after setting out behind the white cat with black markings, Kagome began to feel tired. Although she was fit, her body couldn't handle too much more exercise. Her petite form was soon sore from travel, and Kagome panted from exhaustion. Worst of all, her feet ached.
"Mew."
"Good. I'm worn out; I'm glad we're close." Many may find it strange that she talked to animals, but what was even stranger was that she actually understood them. Or, at least she thought she did. "My name's Kagome, by the way. Yours?"
"Mew."
"Kirara? That's pretty; I like it. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kirara."
"Mew."
"I probably have good manners from growing up in a castle."
"Mew?"
"I'm a princess… and a maid… and a runaway…"
"Mew?"
"You're right. You can't be a maid and a princess. Let me correct myself, I was a princess but now I'm a maid. It's a long story."
"Mew."
"Don't worry. I don't mind. Too many princesses are complete snobs, and they can't do anything for themselves. Being stripped of my title doesn't bother me one bit." Kirara walked forward a few paces before pausing and sitting back on her haunches. Within a few seconds, Kagome understood what she wanted.
She was supposed to go through the trees alone.
Well… Here goes nothing!
In front of her stood a wide, grassy clearing with a quiet spring running through it. In the center was a stone and wood cottage, two stories tall and notably large. The full moon provided enough light in the open clearing for Kagome to get a good look. It was, for lack of a better word, perfect. "Thank you, Kirara. Are you sure I can stay here?"
"Mew."
"That's good. I wouldn't want to intrude."
Walking forward, the girl knocked on the wooden door. Getting no answer, she tried the door and found it unlocked. She also found it, after entering, completely disgusting. It was dusty and unkempt, even though it was obvious that people lived there.
"Slobs…" Kagome murmured as she skipped an immediate tour and found the stairs. Upstairs was a large room with seven normal-sized beds, but made up with extremely tiny pillows and blankets. A single candle was attached to the wall, and Kagome took it down to use to light her way. With a good sweep of her arm, the flickering light cast upon the foot-boards of the beds made Kagome gasp. Padding forward to get a better look at the carved writing at the base of each bed, she read out loud:
"Happy."
"Grumpy."
"Sneezy."
"Dopey."
"Sleepy."
"Bashful."
"Doc."
"What funny names," Kagome said with a grin. Giggling in merriment, she turned to her furry feline friend to add, "Their mother must have had an appetite for adjectives instead of weird foods when she was pregnant!"
Kikyou elegantly swept up the spiral stairs of her tower. A smile graced her lips as the rest of her face stayed frozen in her carefully controlled expression. Kouga had returned with her baby stepsister's tongue, which she had turned into a delightful dinner. Without Kagome, Kikyou would now be the most beautiful maiden of all… And with that beauty, Kikyou would steal Inuyasha's heart!
But not to eat. She rather hated stomachaches.
"Looking glass, looking glass on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" she asked, knowing the answer, as soon as she opened the door.
Kanna appeared immediately, and Kikyou could almost swear she saw a ghost of a smile on the mirror demon's face.
"Kagome is alive, she has foiled your plot.
She still holds the beauty that you have sought."
Oh, yeah, Kanna was definitely enjoying this.
"What? Oh, nevermind," the queen asked and answered herself. "I'll deal with Kagome after I achieve my top priority: obtaining Inuyasha's love. He doesn't know of my sister's beauty, so I can secure our relationship before I take Kagome's life myself." A smirk appeared on Kanna's face, and she quickly quoted before disappearing:
"Kikyou, Kikyou, you are plain as a board!
You'll never get that jerk of a lord!"
Kikyou was left fuming in the middle of her bedroom, new plots of killing her sibling already forming in her irritated mind.