If you need help picturing the dwarves, think of all the characters as "chibis," and Shippou looking like his normal self from Inuyasha; he's just so naturally tiny!
Edited: 12/06/11
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Snow White.
Black as Night, White as Snow
Chapter Four: My Daughter's Obi
"Wait just one second!" Kagome pleaded and held up her hands to stop the dwarves as they shuffled out the front door. "Where are you all going so early in the morning?"
Sango (who, along with Miroku and Shippou, actually took the time to answer Kagome's questions) stopped the rest of the group, so she wouldn't be left behind. "We're going to the Shikon no Tama mines, but we'll be back at dusk. Will you please take care of Kirara?"
Before responding, Kagome smiled lovingly at the white and black cat perched on her shoulder. "No problem; I'm happy to!"
Unable to help herself, Sango sighed in relief. She really didn't want Kirara wandering off and bringing home any more strays. "Good. Thanks. Then I guess we'll see you later…"
"Goodbye!" Kagome shouted as she followed them out of the cottage to wave them off. She watched as the group slowly made their way over the uneven ground carrying their picks and axes. The girl laughed as Hojo tipped backwards from being top-heavy. It took both Naraku and Miroku to set him back on his feet.
Just as the dwarves came to a bend in the path, Miroku turned back to their guest. "Kagome! Promise me something, okay?"
Confused, Kagome stopped waving and called back, "Sure! What is it, Miroku?"
"There are many thieves and demons in this forest. Don't open the door for anyone!" Miroku yelled seriously, his eyes for once not twinkling in mischief or amusement.
"I understand. Don't worry— we can handle ourselves. Even if Kirara can't transform to that —um— larger version of herself anymore because of the curse that none of you will bother explaining. I'm pretty handy with a bow and some arrows!" Kagome confided light-heartily, her smile as carefree and optimistic as ever.
"Good. You put my mind at ease, my dear."
"Farewell!"
"Goodbye!" the seven cried as they finally made their way to work.
"Oh, dear! This place isn't even fit for dogs! They give pigs a bad name! Complete and utter slobs is what they are!" Kagome scolded as she brought her fingers thoughtfully to her chin.
"Mew!"
"Oh, sorry Kirara," Kagome apologized sheepishly. "I guess you do get the point. But how am I supposed to manage this mess? Even I —a maid— will have problems."
"Mew."
"Thanks for your offer, but there isn't much you can do. No offense," Kagome added hastily. "I should get started; this will take awhile to finish. But before I do that…"
The woman climbed the stairs to the upper floor, and Kirara trailed curiously after her. It was one giant room and served as a single bedroom for all seven —now eight— of them. Dragging several oversized trunks away from the wall, Kagome riffled through them.
"Sango said I'd be able to find some of her old kimonos in here…" Kagome explained to the demon cat as she shifted through the articles of clothing slowly, not in any great hurry.
And the brunette had been right. Near the bottom, under a moldy baboon pelt and an old fox skin, was a light blue kimono and a dark blue obi to tie around her waist. "Perfect! It looks like it'll fit." Kagome waltzed around the room with the fabric held up against her body, wishing she had a mirror or, at the very least, a clean window to check her reflection in. "It's in pretty good shape considering how long it's been in storage!"
"Mew."
"Yes, I agree." On second thought, Kagome reached back in and pulled out an apron as well. It tied at the waist and only the bottom half of the kimono, but it was better than nothing. "No more excuses left now… Let's get started!"
The girl clapped her hands together and donned a serious expression as she pulled her long wavy hair back with a ribbon. Marching down the stairs in true military style, the blue-eyed girl muttered one last thing with real feeling:
"I hate cleaning."
Therefore, it was no surprise that her can-do attitude had nearly broken down within a few hours.
"If you were true woodland creatures, you'd try to prove yourselves to the human race!" Kagome said conversationally to the birds perched on the shelf near her head and the foxes and rabbits lying on the window ledge. (A temporary truce had been called.) They were watching as she worked her way through the mountain-high pile of dirty dishes. "I know the perfect way to do that, too," she continued slyly. "To prove that you guys are the true leaders of the animal kingdom, you should help me out with the cleaning!" A fawn and its mother cocked their heads at the ex-princess. "No, really! I mean, it'd really show your talent if you could use a dust rag or wash the dishes."
Of course the animals were having none of it.
"Mew!"
"Oh, Kirara!" Kagome immediately defended herself. "I'm not trying to get out of working! All I'm saying is that it'd raise your status if you could show your intelligence by cleaning a house!"
The bear cub curled up on the counter at her elbow gave her a very exasperated look.
"Fine! But don't come crying to me when humans continue to use you when you could easily prove your worth by helping me."
Unfortunately, the crowd of animals refused to lift a paw. Kagome continued on her own.
Collapsing into a chair four hours later, Kagome released an enormous sigh of relief. "Finally!" she announced. The house was spotless. Well, except for under and behind the furniture. Who ever really looked there anyway? Kagome narrowed her eyes at all the animals gathered around her. "And I did it all without any help from you!"
A few of the rabbits had the grace to look sheepish.
"It would have gone a whole lot faster if a few of you had taken the time to dust the cabinets or wash the dishes," the woman scolded.
Kirara rolled her eyes and huffed. "Mew," she replied stuffily.
"Well, excuse me! I just thought," Kagome said primly, "What's the use of being able to talk to animals if they don't do anything for you?" Having received sufficient scolding, the animals departed one by one. "Goodbye! Come back soon!" Kagome called sweetly after them. Like that'll ever happen, she scoffed internally.
"So…" Kagome leaned on her elbows and placed her chin in her cupped hands, peering around the kitchen table. "I think it's time you all told me why you've been turned into dwarves."
Sango winced, but Miroku immediately countered: "We will if you tell us why you aren't at your own home, Kagome." His smug voice said it all: It was the perfect plan! Kagome would never want to tell them, and then they would never have to reveal their secret. No problems, right? Too bad fate wasn't on Miroku's side that day. Granted, it very rarely was.
"Sounds like a deal," the girl agreed easily, a grin tugging at her lips.
Naraku groaned. Reaching over, he smacked the monk upside the head. "Look what you got us into. It's so embarrassing," he hissed.
Exasperated, Kagura rolled her eyes at the demon's dramatic outburst. "Ha! Embarrassing for you maybe, but not really so much for the rest of us."
Kagome cleared her throat to get their attention. "My stepsister, Kikyou, is the Queen of the lands to the North. She stripped me of my title when my father died, and she took the throne. Every so often she tries to dispose of me with odd plans, like the monkey plan. Yesterday afternoon was her latest attempt. I'm here hoping I can wait out her anger, so I can go back home where I can resume my life as a maid," she explained as succinctly as she could. The long pause that followed her story drew a small chill down her spine, but soon, everyone's reactions bombarded her.
"What title?"
"Monkeys?"
"Queen? As in… as in… the queen?"
"Monkeys?"
"'Latest attempt?' How many times has she tried to kill you?"
"MONKEYS?"
The barrage of questions stopped only after Kagome sneezed, which caused all seven of the dwarves to automatically say, "Bless you."
"Now that I have your attention…" Kagome sniffed delicately and tried to pick her words carefully. Maybe her explanation hadn't been as clear as she had thought it was. "I was a princess, but I'm a maid now. Yes, Kikyou is the queen, but we have different parents. And they were flying, fez hat-wearing monkeys."
"Why fez hats?" Miroku responded quickly, having been the one who repeatedly asked about the monkeys.
"…Because it is Kikyou's favorite kind of hat?" Kagome suggested helplessly. "I don't know. She's…" The maid trailed off, searching fruitlessly for the right word.
"Insane?" Sango seriously suggested. When Kagome shot her a not-very-princess-like look, Sango continued, "Really, I'd have to go with insane. Who'd try to murder her own sister?"
"Kikyou's not insane! She's simply… different," Kagome immediately defended her stoic sister. "She's a bit on the odd side, but only because she has different interests and ideas on how to solve problems. 'Insane' is a strong word…"
Slanting the girl a confused look, Sango decided to shrug it off. "If you say so," she said slowly, clearly not agreeing.
"Anyway! Kikyou has fits of… jealousy and rage and anger. We all have the right to be selfish sometimes, right? She just has a few more of these fits than the average person," Kagome rationalized. "I was hoping I'd only need to lie low for a night or two, but it looks like it'd be better if I took more time in retrospect."
There was another somewhat awkward moment of silence before Sango sighed unhappily. "I guess it's our turn," the brunette muttered while glaring at the monk.
Naraku sneered in a pouty sort of way. "Do we really have to?"
"The monk was the only one who said it, not us," Kagura complained.
"Yes, but I did promise." Miroku batted away all the glares sent in his direction.
"So?" Kagome pressed, setting her elbows on the table and leaning into her hands eagerly. She almost smiled in anticipation but didn't want the others to get the wrong idea.
"Have ye heard of thy Shikon no Tama?" Kaede asked Kagome, who was secretly beginning to think the way the old woman talked was only a well-played call for attention.
"Yes." Kagome blinked at them, wondering what the gem had to do with a curse that had turned seven people/demons/priestesses/things into dwarves. "Kikyou had a sphere made of the jewel. That's why she made one attempt on my life, because I was wearing it. It's her favorite stone."
"All right, then you've heard of how rare it is, and that there was only one place it could be found in the world?" Sango asked.
"Yeah, the mines in this forest. I heard they were depleted!" the girl answered.
"Wrong." Naraku glowered. "That was a rumor sent around, so no one else would use the mines. I found that out—"
"— And hired us," Kagura slipped in, studying her long, crimson nails with a frown. Her shoulders were tense; it was obvious this wasn't her favorite story to tell.
"Hired?" Kagome echoed.
"Yeah. Naraku needed Miroku, Kaede, and I to protect the camp from demons while he was mining for more Shikon no Tamas," Sango hissed, her eyes flashing dangerously at Naraku.
The demon, in turn, chuckled nervously.
"We're distant cousins, and he promised me a share of the profits," Kagura added, her voice low and growly in a way that would have scared Kagome if it was directed at her.
Here, Miroku tilted his head in the direction of the human and the fox cub. "Hojo had an accident— a rock fell on his head, but before that, he was a brilliant rock expert. Shippou lived nearby and volunteered to help us for a small fee, because he could fit into the smaller caverns."
"Oh," Kagome said at a loss for words. "Okay… but how does the curse fit into all this?"
"Well," Sango started slowly, feeling out the words carefully. "We came to the mines to search for more of the stone."
"And we were caught by thy powerful guardian of thy Shikon no Tama mines," Kaede added.
"Midoriko," Kagura hissed. The wind demoness said the protector's name like it was poison on her tongue, upset with what the woman had done to them all.
The only person at the table without a sour look on their face was Miroku, who remained as calm and cheerful as ever. "I really don't understand why I'm the only one here who doesn't blame her! She was the keeper of the jewel, and we were trespassing; it was only fair we got punished."
"How?" Kagome asked.
"You see," Naraku said coldly, "Midoriko is no longer of this world, but her magic is. Very much so."
Kagura sighed. "We were allowed to keep our abilities, but we were forced into these," she looked down at herself disgustedly, "bodies."
"Oh, I see," Kagome muttered faintly.
"So," Miroku continued, "Midoriko-sama assigned us to mine for more Shikon no Tamas for five years as our punishment. In two weeks and five days, not counting today, we shall finally be free of the curse!"
"This cottage is close to the mining site, so she allowed us to live here," Sango muttered.
There was a moment as Kagome absorbed their story, but she had no choice to shake her head in bemusement. "I think I understand all this, but what I don't get is why this would be so embarrassing to you all."
Kagura eyed her cousin darkly. "The reason we went through all this was for Naraku. Do you know why he insisted on this?"
"To make money?" Kagome responded, the answer obvious.
"Because he was convinced that there was only one actual Shikon no Tama, and that it was all-powerful or some such nonsense. He wanted to 'corrupt' it and use it to rule the world!" Kagura shouted, outraged. "I guess he didn't get the memo that almost every member of every royal family on the planet had one. And then some!"
"I'm sorry if I was locked in a cave for ten years and missed out on the goings-on of the world!" Naraku spat.
"Good. You should be sorry. The only reason why I haven't dismembered, disemboweled, and decapitated you in the slowest and most painful way possible— yet— is because these five years won't add to our age," Kagura growled menacingly.
The mental image of the destruction Kagura just described made Kagome wince girlishly. "I didn't need to picture that…"
The monk groaned. "Kagura—"
"Lady Kagura!" Kagura slipped in.
"—We just ate!" Miroku finished smoothly, ignoring her correction.
"So?" the demoness retorted.
Already understanding the dynamics of the group too well after only one day, Kagome shook her head dismissively and stood from the table. "I think I'm going to go to sleep now."
"I'll join you," Sango grumbled. When she caught Miroku waggling his eyebrows suggestively at her, she shut him down with a cold look and a knock upside the head. "Not in the same bed, of course."
As the two women trudged up the stairs (Sango taking twice as long as Kagome, so the girl had to slow her pace), Kagome asked, "So, that's why you're dwarves, and why you live together?"
"Yes, and it's also why I'm stuck mining a precious gem for a dead priestess when I could be off with my brother slaying demons for cash." Sango yawned widely, absentmindedly putting the back of her hand to her mouth to cover the action.
"Goodnight, Sango," Kagome mumbled. She slipped between the covers of her own bed, drifting off to sleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.
"Goodnight."
"Do not open the door for anyone," Miroku repeated sternly, sounding as serious as he had the day before.
"Of course, Miroku. Have fun working at the mine!" Kagome called cheerfully.
With a scoff, Sango tossed her long brown hair over one shoulder. "Never use the words 'fun' and 'work' in the same sentence again."
"Well, if you ask that sweetly… Goodbye!" As soon as all seven of her roommates disappeared around the bend, Kagome backtracked into the cottage, locking the door behind her. Within a few minutes, she was in the kitchen, her hands busy with several ingredients. "Mmm," Kagome murmured as if lost in a trance. "Smells good, doesn't it?"
"Mew!" Kirara eagerly agreed from where she perched on the counter.
Kagome smiled cheerfully as she rolled the dough out. After brushing her powdered hands on the apron, she picked up a sharp knife to slice some apples. Almost immediately, she accidentally nicked a finger.
"Ouch!" The girl stuck her finger into her mouth and sucked on it, using her other hand to fold the fruit into the dough and slit holes in the lumpy top. Walking over to the kitchen window, she opened the wooden shutters. Finally pulling her forefinger out of her mouth, she leaned out and took in a deep breath of the fresh air:
"Forest animals, please help me!"
Sitting back, Kagome waited, her eyes trained on the sky.
Less than half a mile away, Inuyasha suddenly snapped awake.
"Shit!" he cursed as his golden eyes opened only to close again a split second later. The light burned his eyes, and he groggily and very confusedly tried to figure out why he'd startled awake. It wasn't even noon yet…
Suddenly, a lilting voice floated toward him on the wind; straining his ears, he only heard the word 'help' faintly.
Wondering if someone was in trouble, Inuyasha tried to hear more, his ears flicking back and forth atop his head as if for better reception. In the end, he decided he'd imagined it. The voice he'd hear, however faint, was too soft and sweet to be anything other than his imagination. He was hoping to hear the singing voice from the castle again.
"Just the wind," he mumbled in disappointment as he uncomfortably fell back into an uneasy sleep.
Much closer than the half demon, someone else heard Kagome's words. Gray eyes flashed with a hint of both excitement and malice. "Good, good, I didn't get lost…"
Kagome giggled as a robin, blue jay, and golden finch swooped into the kitchen through the window. "Hello! I could use your help."
They chattered and chirped back at her while fluttering near the crown of her head. Kagome giggled again as the tip of a blue wing brushed her ear, tickling her.
"See, here? It's an apple pie! I was wondering if you'd be so kind as to put on the finishing touches?" Kagome asked politely while gesturing at the counter. The three birds cocked their heads at their friend before eyeing the pie carefully. Finally, they gently landed on the crust to place the slightest indentations with their claws, tracking an intricate pattern across the top of the pie. "Thank you! It looks wonderful, doesn't it?"
Several more tweets later, the birds swooped right back out the window they had flown in from. Kagome watched them go with a faint smile on her face.
Kirara grumpily watched her dinner fly away.
"We'll go fishing later," Kagome promised as she moved to set the pie in the fire pit. It would finish baking around the time the others came home because of the low flame. "Perfect."
"Yes, it is. That pie looks beautiful, dear, did you make it yourself?" a creaky old voice commented, startling Kagome.
Clutching a hand fearfully to her chest, the girl whirled around to face the newcomer. A thin, frail woman stood at the kitchen window. She wore ragged gray kimono that matched her gray eyes, peering out from behind many layers of wrinkles.
"Can I help you, ma'am?" Kagome asked, her voice friendly and sweet despite any suspicion. She walked closer to the window but remained more than an arm's length away.
She always was too polite for her own good, the old hag thought darkly. "Yes, my dear. I have been walking all morning and was hoping that the owner of this cottage would be so kind as to… refresh my thirst?"
Only a beat passed as Kagome considered the situation. Really, the old woman looked so tired and thirsty… With a smile, Kagome unlatched the back door and swung it open, Miroku's earlier warning fleeing instantly.
"Sit here for a few minutes, ma'am, well I go to the well."
The traveler nodded before settling comfortably at the table. Kirara hissed and snarled at the newcomer, her back arched and her hair standing in a ridge along her spine.
"Kirara!" Kagome scolded. "I'm sorry," she told the woman sincerely. "She isn't normally like this. Please ignore her."
"Of course, dear."
"Thank you. I'll be back as soon as I can," Kagome promised as she left the cottage. The well was less than a minute away, but it provided plenty of time for Kagome to think about the old woman. Those eyes, they look so familiar, she thought as she hauled up a bucket at the bottom of the well. There was only an inch of water, and Kagome mentally noted to tell the dwarves that any future water would have to come from a spring. The well seemed awfully low if not nearly completely dry.
Practically skipping back into the kitchen, Kagome gently took down one of the eight cups, the one she'd been using that had no name. Smiling at the visitor, she poured the water in but became distracted when she noticed something in the old woman's hands. "Oh! What is that? It's beautiful," the girl gasped as she set the cup at the crone's elbow.
The woman chuckled as she brought the cup to her cracked, old lips. This water is good, but I have yet to find a well as delicious as the one at the castle, she noted sadly. "Yes, my dear. This obi was my daughter's. She passed away a little while ago, and I was hoping to find a pretty young lady worthy of wearing it to do my daughter proud," the old woman said. Twisted in her ancient, bony, wrinkled hands was a long strip of cloth. It was silk, midnight blue. Pictures of flowers were delicately hand sewn along the edges. The fabric was the perfect length and width to wrap around a woman's waist over her kimono.
"It's beautiful," Kagome repeated, everything else forgotten. Almost unbidden, she took a step closer, her eyes unable to look away from the obi, drinking in its beauty. "I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter. What a horrible thing to have to go through!"
The old woman laughed lightly. "She was a pretty little thing! She lived well in this life and will be missed greatly." The crone then seemed to turn her gaze to Kagome with more scrutiny. "She was about your size," her old voice whispered. "I think," she continued slowly, "that this obi would fit you perfectly. It would match your kimono and beautiful blue eyes!"
"Oh, but I couldn't," Kagome announced even as her hand reached for the fabric. It was almost as if her very being was being drawn toward it.
"I insist," the old woman said gravely as she handed the obi over. "Try it."
Kagome smiled gratefully. "Thank you, I think I will."
The maid then slowly undid the apron and obi borrowed from Sango and wound the new obi over her kimono in their place. "It's so soft," Kagome whispered as she brushed her fingers over the fabric. Her thoughts couldn't only spin around how beautiful it looked, and any others drifted away.
But then, suddenly, panic rippled through her body.
The fabric was constricting, pulling tighter, and at first Kagome believed she was imagining it. The tightness grew until spots danced before her eyes. "What…?" Kagome gasped, turning a startled gaze to the older woman. "Wha…?" she tried again, more forcefully. Her breath was coming harsher, and the obi constricted painfully until Kagome could barely pull in any air at all. Her lungs were screaming, and her numb fingers, no matter how much they struggled, couldn't loosen the obi.
"…Help…" she managed to whisper to the old woman even as her vision grew dark, the lightheadedness threatening to overtake her. Slowly, her legs could no longer hold her weight, and the girl slipped sideways to the floor. The last thing her eyes held was that of the old hag slowly becoming taller and fuller— and younger, much younger. The soft gray eyes became harder and sharper as the woman slowly transformed into a very familiar figure.
"…Kikyou…" Kagome's dying breath whispered.
"Kagome?" Sango called as the dwarves stepped into the cottage through the front door.
Miroku took a deep breath. "Wow, something smells good!"
The others mirrored his actions, and Shippou chirped proudly, "It's apple pie! I can smell the fruit."
"Kagome really shouldn't have!" Sango said as she, along with the others, turned their steps toward the kitchen.
"Kagome, it smells great!" Miroku announced as he pushed the door open.
But the maiden wasn't there.
With confused expressions, the dwarves, one by one, filed into the airy kitchen. "Kagome?" Sango called.
And that's when she saw the lifeless form on the ground.
"Oh no…" she gasped as she lifted a hand to her mouth in horror. "KAGOME!"