Disclaimer: Never has and never will be mine. Damn.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait guys, but I just haven't been in much of the mood to write, and everything I wrote came out sounding like garbage. The only reason I'm even updating now is because I'd already practically finished this chapter, so I figured I might as well use up my last bit of energy and get it outta the way. Anyone got suggestions for writer's block? Heh, review plz, and I'll try to update!
Chapter Five
Choices
Ughhhhh...my head...
"You and me darling, strange as it may seem, are chock full of passion, romance, and unfaltering curiosities of the human figure," a deep masculine voice boomed through the fragile depths of her ears, penetrating the thin barriers sealing her consciousness. "What do you think?"
Where am I...
"Dreadful. Honestly, the rhythm is all off," a lighter nonchalant voice shook in concealed laughter, and the sound of chair legs scraping gently across a wooden floor were audible to her delicately sensitive ears.
Am I in heaven...?
"You two are some of the most imbecilic and argumentative recruits I've ever had the misfortune of training," a weary voice resounded throughout the temporary silence followed shortly by an accompanying heavy sigh. "I honestly don't know why I put up with you".
... Heaven is a boot camp?
"Aww, you know you love us Lady Kaede. We are your most athletic little underlings after all," a teasing voice responded instantaneously, and the lilting feminine voice from before broke into boisterous laughter at his words.
I think I'll go back to sleep now...
A pause penetrated the uplifting atmosphere, and the silence seemed almost thunderous in comparison to the cheerful dialogue taking place only mere moments ago. In an attempt to break the awkward silence, the leathery, more mature voice floated through the brisk air and into the twitching ears of the slumbering woman.
"Where's Inuyasha anyhow? Didn't you say that he's the one who located her?" the voice inquired curiously, absently tapping out an unfamiliar rhythm on the firm timber floor with one of her worn fingers.
"It's quite strange," the deeper voice, which she presumed was male, interjected. "When we arrived he had secured the girl, but instead of returning with us as we'd expected, he just asked us if he looked like a cat, then handed her over to us and ran off. I have no idea what possessed such a reaction".
The feminine voice grew taut with haughtiness when it next appeared in the conversation. "Inuyasha was not POSESSED, Miroku. I think you mean 'produced'".
"Will you two quit it for once? It's very irritating," the wiser voice broke in exasperatedly, and even from her spot on the floor, the drowsy Kagome couldn't help but nod in agreement as she curled over onto her side, her raven hair strewn across her slim shoulders as she twisted and writhed in an attempt to achieve a comfortable position, a difficult feat when the surface on which you're choosing to sleep is solid as the sturdiest of boulders and every bit as stiff.
Looks like a cat? Wait a minute...
Fast as lightening, a blur of dark matter rose stealthily from the floor, on her feet before any of the stunned onlookers even had the opportunity to blink. Her appearance was rather disheveled, charcoal hair protruding up from odd ends of her skull and bleary eyes tinged with specks of remaining drowsiness. All this was overlooked, however, when she used the deafening silence as an opportunity to speak.
"Where is he?" she shrieked, glancing around apprehensively. "What happened to him?"
A second figure leapt to its feet whose voice she immediately recognized as the resonant masculine voice from earlier. "Where is who?" he cocked his head in bewilderment, discounting the awestruck stares from both Lady Sango and Kaede. Seeing Kagome in unconsciousness was one thing, but after a one hundred year waiting period, seeing her alive and well, speaking even, was a spectacle neither expected to observe in the course of their lifetimes. Miroku, however, adapted to new situations quite well, especially when a young lady had taken involvement.
"Hiten! And cat-boy!" her eyes widened in horror. "Are they...dead?" her voice shook in utter anxiety as she hung her head in melancholy mourning, tears embellishing the corners of her puffy eyelids as she recalled the situation from only hours earlier.
'He saved my life. And, whatever it was that I did, I think I'm the one who killed him. How am I supossed to live with that?' idle thoughts coursed through her brain shamefully as she fought to hold back her impending tears. 'It's my fault...'.
To her utter amazement, chuckles rose throughout the room at her antics, and she quickly wiped a dusty hand across her delicate cheeks to rid them of any tenacious tears. The dark haired man stepped forward confidently, two golden earrings clinking merrily against one another as they protruded from his earlobes. "Cat-boy, huh?" he chuckled, startled at not feeling even the slightest bit of guilt for laughing mercilessly at his friend's expense. "So that's why he was having some sort of demon identity crisis," his lips broke out into a friendly smile at his propositions. "Anyhow, don't worry. Your friend is safe and sound, he's actually the one who delivered you to us," he leaned against the rough planks strewn against the doorway, probably used for repairing the immediate vicinity, though Kagome couldn't be bothered with such speculations when she certainly had more pressing issues to attend to.
"And why have you three kidnapped me anyhow?" she gasped in what sounded suspiciously alike to mock amazement, and her usually warm eyes narrowed in an accusing glare as she altered her hands to her hips from their previous position of shaking uneasily by her dreary sides. "You're in cahoots with cat-boy, aren't you? I knew he wasn't to be trusted," she murmured darkly before shifting her gaze to the two gaping women sprawled on the floor. "Your jaws are scraping the ground," she quipped dryly, her lips drawing upwards in a lilting smile as the younger woman blushed lightly before taking a sudden interest in a damp spot tainting the dry black floors of their abode. The older woman scoffed, turning HER gaze toward the fire as she began tending to its majestic glory.
"We haven't kidnapped you," the dark haired man smiled patiently as he continued his protests. "In reality, you could say we saved your life," he wrinkled his nose, as if rethinking his previous statement. "Well actually, you have Inuyasha to thank for that. We just live here".
Kagome smiled amiably up at him before bursting into hearty laughter, clutching her sides as she stumbled backwards into the harsh wooden surface of a nearby wall. The three onlookers stared curiously at her for a few moments before she ceased her incessant giggling to peer innocently down at them. "Oh, I wasn't serious," she flashed a cheerful beam before continuing, "Well, you made it incredibly easy for me to escape, so I can assume that your intentions were honorable. That or you're just bumbling fools who call themselves villains to strengthen their self esteem. Either way, I harbor no reason to fear you," her expression grew serious for a moment as she stared awkwardly toward the twitching doorframe as the swinging wooden door shifted uncomfortably on its hinges. "I'm just wondering what happened to Cat-boy. I hope he's all right," her voice shook worriedly before giving way to a rueful laugh. "Of course, I have much more pressing wonders then that, but I don't suppose you could give me any answers to them," she hinted awkwardly, and both Miroku and Sango laughed at her proposal.
"Surprisingly, we know more then you think," Sango spoke up from her spot on the stiff ground, leaning forward onto her stomach to allow the ground to bear the brunt of her weight. She shifted to obtain a more comfortable position, then gave up on the task and drew herself up to her knees before stumbling awkwardly to her feet. "But I think it'd be best to wait for Inuyasha before we explain any further. He has a right to know after all".
"You know," Miroku stroked his chin thoughtfully, cocking an eye toward Kagome, "you look awfully familiar. This may sound insane, but I feel as if I've seen you somewhere before".
"Aye," Kaede spoke without glancing upward from nurturing the blaze as she waited for the inferno to blaze enough to risk attempting a suitable dinner. "Her resemblance to Kikyo is uncanny...," she trailed off thoughtfully, and Kagome was nearly positive she caught Kaede glancing wistfully at the blackened blaze before her.
"She looks nothing like that bitch," a harsh voice spat bitterly from above them, and all four shifted their gazes to focus upon Inuyasha as he strode confidently into the vicinity, shaking his mane of flowing white hair in strained relaxation as he collapsed upon the wooden surface, leaning up against the uneven walls as he draped his arms carelessly across his knees, wrinkling his blackened uniform in the process, though Kagome couldn't tell whether that was due to the strange color scheme currently invading her pupils or whether the earlier battle had roughed him up even more then she'd recognized.
"Ahh, Inuyasha," Kaede nodded respectfully toward him, her lips quirking upward in a knowing smile. "Welcome back. You're just in time to introduce yourself," she nodded in a gesture toward Kagome who sunk down beside him, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she gave him a hearty wave.
"So Inuyasha's your name, is it?" her feet gave way as she collapsed onto the ground, sprawling against the wall in a rumpled heap. "I'm Kagome," she withdrew her hand from its place draped listlessly at her side, pulling it before her in preparation for a reciprocate shake.
"Well that's bloody brilliant for you," he scowled darkly, glaring stonily at her before shifting his attention to Kaede, who had almost completed the task of readying the fires. "Are you sure this is the one, old hag? I thought ol' Midoriko would at least have the brains to choose a capable one".
Kagome's brow furrowed as she retracted her hand before shrugging half-heartedly and returning the ever present smile to her cheeks. "At least I'm capable of being friendly," she laughed dryly, strengthening her laughter when Inuyasha whirled around to focus his intense glare on her sparkling doey eyes, his white mane blowing stormily around his face, framing it in a way that made him appear even more callous and uncaring then she'd originally pegged him to be.
"She got you there," Miroku too had found a place against the walls, joined moments later by a reluctant Sango as they awaited further instructions from an apparently unobservant Kaede.
"So, Inuyasha," her gaze suddenly hardened in intense seriousness. "What exactly happened back there? And why did you get so worked up over Kikyo? And, just in case any of you know this, why the hell did I wind up here?" Lily rambled, clamping her mouth shut as she realized her incessant talk was void of any direction.
Inuyasha remained silent, jerking his head toward Kaede in a silent but expressive gesture. Since Kaede, however, seemed too involved with her immediate task to give the four awaiting onlookers much heed, Miroku took it upon himself to complete the introductions.
"Well let's see here, Kagome. I'm Miroku and this is Sango, my rampant sex monkey," he smiled pleasantly toward Sango, ignoring Kagome's appalled gasp and Inuyasha's blatant snort littering the pure silence of the background.
"Miroku," Sango's voice appeared the picture of tranquility as she continued to glare absorbedly into the cracks of the wooden floor. "I'm giving you until the count of five to beat it. If you fail to do so, I will string you up by your testicles and allow a particularly raunchy demon to have his way with you," she smiled icily at Miroku, ticking off his remaining seconds with smooth fingers.
Miroku scuttled hastily across the floor, winding up sprawled by Kagome's feet as he gasped in mock anguish before Sango even reached the number three. "Why Sango, I'm utterly appalled. Where on Earth you learned such vulgar language is beyond my understanding. I may very well have to call up your mother and-," he broke into a teasing grin as Sango scowled darkly before glaring maliciously at Miroku, her eyes oozing utter loathing.
"DON'T YOU DARE," she ground out, pointing a threatening finger toward him in ruthless promise. "OR I WILL KILL YOU!" her eyes shone with fiery anger as she crossed her arms callously before turning away from all three gaping onlookers, her nose pointed toward the sky as she shifted her gaze toward Kaede. "Is the food ready yet? I'm starved," she reverted back to her usual amiable demeanor in mere moments, attempting not to giggle as she heard the irritated sigh escape from Kaede's partially parted lips as they pointed upwards, appearing for all the world to Lily like a highly amused grin.
"Nearly," she stated hotly before shifting her attention to an ever pressing matter: dinner.
Kagome glanced from Sango to Miroku before emitting a nervous giggle at their antics in an attempt to break the awkward tension floating between them. "I suppose there are some inside jokes nobody's let me in on," she remarked idly, crinkling her eyelids in humor as she attempted to make eye contact with Inuyasha, sinking back dejectedly when she saw his livid scowl hadn't left its usual post of resting lightly on his lips, his eyes narrowing downward as he silently fumed.
Miroku immediately shifted closer to Kagome, a serene smile taking over his lips as he gazed intently at her slight form. She shifted uncomfortably beneath his gaze as she subconsciously scooted backwards toward Inuyasha, who, unlike Miroku, had no intention of eyeing her so brazenly, rather raising his eyebrows in utter repulsion as she drew near.
"You know Kagome," his voice suddenly took on a more sultry tone. "For a girl who's gone through so much, you appear awfully calm about the whole situation," he leaned in closer, and Kagome could feel her neck begin the process of perspiration as the sensation of his breath tickled her skin. "I like that in a girl".
The next sequence of events occurred almost simultaneously as Miroku's infamous wandering hand slipped downward toward Kagome's awaiting rear. At first, the room was drenched in a deadly silence as all four of its occupants glanced around nervously, unsure of the events that would transpire afterward. Then, suddenly, chaos erupted as Kagome emitted a high pitched shriek, drawing back her hand and driving it full force against Miroku's already throbbing cheek. Sango glared stonily at Miroku, and Inuyasha's boisterous laughter echoed throughout the room at the hilarity of the scene, growing even stronger when he swore he could see a tinge of hurt dabbing the edges of Sango's stony eyes, though they were subtle and practicably concealed.
"You three are the most idiotic people I've ever had the misfortune to meet," Kaede sighed disapprovingly before gazing sympathetically at Kagome, who had proceeded to scoot as far away from Miroku as humanly possible without physically touching Inuyasha, who looked less then pleased with the seating arrangement. Sango sighed morosely, and Kaede shook her head in annoyance.
"Honestly, there are much more pressing matters on our hands then this idiocy," she chirped matter of factly before tenderly stroking the fire a final time before allowing it to gradually burn out.
"There were pressing matters on Miroku's hands too," Sango muttered darkly, though the comment was only capable to Inuyasha with his keen hearing, and he couldn't succeed in repressing his muffled snort, earning him odd glances from both Kagome and Miroku.
"Look, you three, I'm being serious," Kaede shifted her intense gaze to each of them in turn, daring them with her stony eyes to continue their nonsense. When they gradually lapsed into silence, she seized the opportunity to begin her tale.
"All right, Kagome, this is vital to your survival here, so I'd listen up if I were you," she smiled kindly at Kagome whose ears perked up at her rather intimidating words. "Where should I begin this...".
"Start with the divide," Sango suggested encouragingly, internally wishing Kaede weren't so painstakingly slow all of the time, then mentally scolded herself for even considering such things. Kaede was, after all, like a grandmother to her, and the two were extremely close.
Kaede shifted on the ground before proceeding to begin her tragic tale. "Years ago, before this planet was graced with any of our presences, the world was divided into kingdoms. Kings and queens reined above all others and were treated with the utmost respect or sought after and brutally slaughtered. Horrible times, Kagome. You never knew who exactly you could trust. One bad word against any ruler and you'd run for fear of your life, since you never knew who could be listening in on your every conversation. One such king was even more ruthless then the rest, and his lands hated him above all others, though they'd never speak their qualms aloud. He had two sons, the older which took after him immensely, and the younger, quieter one, that we suspect inherited more of his dear mother's traits.
The younger one, whose name was Charles, resented the older one, whose name was William, greatly. As the older son, William was one day to inherit the title of king, so naturally most of the kingdom's attentions were focused on William and little thought ever drifted to Charles, who basically existed in the background. He didn't mind so much not being in the public spotlight, actually he was quite thankful for his privacy, but he felt he always came in second to William in the eyes of his parents, his father especially. When he finally came of age, he took off on a year long vacation to supposedly "find himself". Rumor has it that he traveled to the Western Lands, but nobody's all that sure, and frankly, nobody really cares. A year later he returned on the scene of royalty, only to find both his parents dead and his brother ruthlessly commanding the subjects and citizens to participate in vile activities. Horrible things, Kagome, you have no idea. Most of it involved the slaying of demons, our allies for the past century. The demons fought side by side with us in battle, lived with us in our villages, and most didn't even give a thought to demonic identities. Befriending a demon was no different then befriending a human.
Charles returned as a newlywed, recently married to a demon girl from the mountains, Angelique. Their bond was stronger then any I'd ever heard, and Charles wouldn't even consider turning her over to his loathed brother. So when William called Charles to execute Angelique, Charles blatantly refused. To make a long story short, war soon threatened to overflow the shores of our lands. On William's side, we have the humans, forced to fight under him in fear of their lives, and on Charles', the demons, fighting in defense of their freedom.
War raged for years, and in the end, nobody was truly deemed victorious. Eventually both William and Charles died in battle, and to this day, nobody's absolutely sure about Angelique's whereabouts. But these events left a permanent scar on the surface of friendship in regards to the human/demon population. The demons were feeling betrayed by the humans for threatening to exterminate them, and the humans as well felt betrayed, for many lives had been lost in those battles at the hands of demons. The cloth of bonding we'd knit so tightly steadily unraveled until nothing left then a single thread kept us from ripping one another's throats out. Finally the demons seceded from our lands, taking a few choice humans (who believed in their cause) with them, and the humans captured a few of the weaker demons to use as house slaves. The scar had ripped through the thin tissue connecting us, and the wounds inflicted upon pride don't heal quickly. It's been hundreds of years, and to this day the groups of Black and White will not come within ten feet of each other. Black being the Pro Demon group, though forty percent of it consists of humans, as demons are increasingly rarer then your average human. The whites are the Anti Demon group, consisting only ten percent of demons, and those are nothing more then powerless servants.
Of course, there are some who tired of the immense loathing between the two groups and who'd like nothing more then to see peace reign once again throughout the lands. This group is called "Gray" and are not to be trusted by either side, since almost all Grays are thought to be spies for the other side, whomever that may be at the moment. It's quite a complicated triangle, but the point is that if you're to survive here, you'll need to pick your group. Become prejudice as Black or White, and you'll need to leave our humble village, for we here are Grays, and if you're seen in our company and associated with us, you'll never be able to clear your name," she finished breathlessly, staring intensely at Kagome as if trying to assess the girl's expression. "So pray tell, child, what do you choose?"
"Wow," Kagome glanced downward apprehensively. "That's a pretty, erm, intense story, but I'm not sure if I can remember it all," she glanced worriedly at Kaede who chuckled heartily, bouncing lightly in her mirth.
"Child, you don't need to remember all this. We just need to know how to categorize you to decide what information to feed you next. We do have a favor to ask of you, but we must know your decision before we ask it," her gaze suddenly slipped back into that of a mature grandmother.
"Well in that case, I don't even have to make a choice. I've always been against any sort of prejudice, no matter what the cause. Gray it is," she nodded in determined resolve, her eyes sparkling beamingly when they locked upon the proud smile fixed on Kaede's worn lips. She parted them to speak, but Inuyasha broke in before she had the chance.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" he spoke directly to the wall, but Kagome knew he was addressing her. "That mirror of yours may malfunction, and if by some chance you get stuck here, you might regret that decision. You may have said that you're against prejudice, but by joining us, people will be prejudiced against YOU. Is that really what you want?" his tone was patronizing, but Kagome could sense an entirely different emotion behind it, though she couldn't detect its identity. Idly she wondered how he even knew about the mirror, but decided asking wasn't worth the agony he'd end up feeding her.
"Yes, that's what I want," Kagome's unfaltering gaze bore into the back of Inuyasha's white mane, willing him to turn around and meet her stare with one of his own. "I've never actually met a demon before, but from Kaede's description, they sound like perfectly nice, er, beings," she smiled warmly as Inuyasha turned to face her, his gaze cold and calculating, as if searching her own for traces of doubt. His lips quirked upward in a halfway pleasant smirk as he turned back toward the older woman, and Kagome could barely repress a happy shriek at her almost immediate progress.
"Well Kagome," Kaede spoke again, grinning almost cheerily as images of a shining colorful rainbrow circulated through the abyss of her mind, "It's time to tell you why you're here," she cleared her throat in preparation. "A hundred years to date, there was a particularly rebellious Gray who called herself Midoriko. She was a miko, one of the last of her line to be precise, which gave her immense spiritual power," she scowled at Kagome's skeptical gaze. "After everything you've seen today, you can't believe in spiritual power?" she shook her head in disbelief. "Teenagers these days... anyhow, Midriko absolutely loathed the prejudice between Black and White, as do we all, but she had the power to do something about it. The Whites had killed her demon husband, and in retaliation, she decided to punish both sides of the coin by using the remainder of her spiritual energy to create a prophecy. She decided that if the majority of people wanted to view the world in black and white terms, by all means, give the people what they want. This world has been void of color ever since," she sighed wistfully before continuing. "The sheer power this took was enough claim the life of a thousand mikos, and she herself was no different. Her death occurred momentarily, but her last thoughts were forever recorded on a slip of parchment that has been passed down through the years to the descendants of her closest friend, my grandmother. She couldn't pass it on to her own descendants, for they were a rather bloodthirsty lot, and she didn't place even an ounce of trust in them," her voice became tinged with specks of pride as she continued.
"The prophecy is written in words only a fifth degree scholar could understand, so I'll lay it out in laymen's terms. There are three tokens: Black, White, and Gray. Nobody has even the slightest clue of their shape or their location, and if any do then they're keeping mightily quiet about it. One of all sides must work together to achieve this goal: a former black, a former white, and one whose lineage doesn't originate from either. That's where you come in Kagome," she smiled at Kagome's perplexed look as she continued.
"Midoriko's most prized possession was the Mirror of Versitude. I'm not exactly sure what it does, but it allowed her to locate the 'other- worldian' of her choice, which coincidentally was Kagome here. She requested that the mirror be burned with her body, and her requests were directly filled. Somehow she arranged for the mirror to regenerate in your world, Kagome, which I assume is how you arrived here," she paused to allow Kagome's jerky nod.
"You must aide us in our search. Once we have all three tokens, we must use them to call upon Midoriko's spirit who, we hope, will aide us in the next section of our task. It may take ages to complete, but once we accomplish our goal, the world will once again be filled with color, and hopefully the common bond of victory will seal the wounds of pride and allow peace to reign once more, at least amongst the majority," she added ruefully.
"Wow," Kagome silenced thoughtfully, subconsciously weighing her options in the shortest of time spans. "What's the danger level?" she inquired reluctantly, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.
Sango bristled at her statement. "Kagome, the danger level is quite high," she ignored the stern glares she was receiving from both Miroku and Kaede. "What? There's no reason to sugarcoat it. Kagome, this task could very well be the death of you, but we're all well versed in combat, and we'll do our best to protect you," she finished softly, shooting Kagome an encouraging smile. "We don't want to force you into anything, and we know this is all rather sudden, but we really do need to move quickly".
"Right," Kagome nodded meekly. "Can you give me the night to think it over? I'm sorry if it's a burden but this is all happening really fast. Just 24 hours ago I was on a plane to Kyoto, and now I'm told that I'm the key to saving an alternate universe?" she chuckled dryly.
Miroku nodded without a moment's hesitation. "Of course, Lily. I'm actually surprised you haven't driven yourself into a panicking frenzy by now. I probably would've, and I'm said to be the picture of serenity," he ignored Sango's scoff echoing in the background.
"Thanks," Kagome smiled gratefully at him, though she still hadn't driven the night's earlier events from her mind, and therefore still sat primly as far away from Miroku as she could scoot. She glanced up at Inuyasha to see his outlook on the situation, and she couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter when she saw he lay fast asleep, his lips slightly parted as his head lolled to one side and a speck of drool hovered on his upper lip as he slumbered.
Looks like it's gonna be a long night...
A/N: Sorry for the long wait guys, but I just haven't been in much of the mood to write, and everything I wrote came out sounding like garbage. The only reason I'm even updating now is because I'd already practically finished this chapter, so I figured I might as well use up my last bit of energy and get it outta the way. Anyone got suggestions for writer's block? Heh, review plz, and I'll try to update!
Chapter Five
Choices
Ughhhhh...my head...
"You and me darling, strange as it may seem, are chock full of passion, romance, and unfaltering curiosities of the human figure," a deep masculine voice boomed through the fragile depths of her ears, penetrating the thin barriers sealing her consciousness. "What do you think?"
Where am I...
"Dreadful. Honestly, the rhythm is all off," a lighter nonchalant voice shook in concealed laughter, and the sound of chair legs scraping gently across a wooden floor were audible to her delicately sensitive ears.
Am I in heaven...?
"You two are some of the most imbecilic and argumentative recruits I've ever had the misfortune of training," a weary voice resounded throughout the temporary silence followed shortly by an accompanying heavy sigh. "I honestly don't know why I put up with you".
... Heaven is a boot camp?
"Aww, you know you love us Lady Kaede. We are your most athletic little underlings after all," a teasing voice responded instantaneously, and the lilting feminine voice from before broke into boisterous laughter at his words.
I think I'll go back to sleep now...
A pause penetrated the uplifting atmosphere, and the silence seemed almost thunderous in comparison to the cheerful dialogue taking place only mere moments ago. In an attempt to break the awkward silence, the leathery, more mature voice floated through the brisk air and into the twitching ears of the slumbering woman.
"Where's Inuyasha anyhow? Didn't you say that he's the one who located her?" the voice inquired curiously, absently tapping out an unfamiliar rhythm on the firm timber floor with one of her worn fingers.
"It's quite strange," the deeper voice, which she presumed was male, interjected. "When we arrived he had secured the girl, but instead of returning with us as we'd expected, he just asked us if he looked like a cat, then handed her over to us and ran off. I have no idea what possessed such a reaction".
The feminine voice grew taut with haughtiness when it next appeared in the conversation. "Inuyasha was not POSESSED, Miroku. I think you mean 'produced'".
"Will you two quit it for once? It's very irritating," the wiser voice broke in exasperatedly, and even from her spot on the floor, the drowsy Kagome couldn't help but nod in agreement as she curled over onto her side, her raven hair strewn across her slim shoulders as she twisted and writhed in an attempt to achieve a comfortable position, a difficult feat when the surface on which you're choosing to sleep is solid as the sturdiest of boulders and every bit as stiff.
Looks like a cat? Wait a minute...
Fast as lightening, a blur of dark matter rose stealthily from the floor, on her feet before any of the stunned onlookers even had the opportunity to blink. Her appearance was rather disheveled, charcoal hair protruding up from odd ends of her skull and bleary eyes tinged with specks of remaining drowsiness. All this was overlooked, however, when she used the deafening silence as an opportunity to speak.
"Where is he?" she shrieked, glancing around apprehensively. "What happened to him?"
A second figure leapt to its feet whose voice she immediately recognized as the resonant masculine voice from earlier. "Where is who?" he cocked his head in bewilderment, discounting the awestruck stares from both Lady Sango and Kaede. Seeing Kagome in unconsciousness was one thing, but after a one hundred year waiting period, seeing her alive and well, speaking even, was a spectacle neither expected to observe in the course of their lifetimes. Miroku, however, adapted to new situations quite well, especially when a young lady had taken involvement.
"Hiten! And cat-boy!" her eyes widened in horror. "Are they...dead?" her voice shook in utter anxiety as she hung her head in melancholy mourning, tears embellishing the corners of her puffy eyelids as she recalled the situation from only hours earlier.
'He saved my life. And, whatever it was that I did, I think I'm the one who killed him. How am I supossed to live with that?' idle thoughts coursed through her brain shamefully as she fought to hold back her impending tears. 'It's my fault...'.
To her utter amazement, chuckles rose throughout the room at her antics, and she quickly wiped a dusty hand across her delicate cheeks to rid them of any tenacious tears. The dark haired man stepped forward confidently, two golden earrings clinking merrily against one another as they protruded from his earlobes. "Cat-boy, huh?" he chuckled, startled at not feeling even the slightest bit of guilt for laughing mercilessly at his friend's expense. "So that's why he was having some sort of demon identity crisis," his lips broke out into a friendly smile at his propositions. "Anyhow, don't worry. Your friend is safe and sound, he's actually the one who delivered you to us," he leaned against the rough planks strewn against the doorway, probably used for repairing the immediate vicinity, though Kagome couldn't be bothered with such speculations when she certainly had more pressing issues to attend to.
"And why have you three kidnapped me anyhow?" she gasped in what sounded suspiciously alike to mock amazement, and her usually warm eyes narrowed in an accusing glare as she altered her hands to her hips from their previous position of shaking uneasily by her dreary sides. "You're in cahoots with cat-boy, aren't you? I knew he wasn't to be trusted," she murmured darkly before shifting her gaze to the two gaping women sprawled on the floor. "Your jaws are scraping the ground," she quipped dryly, her lips drawing upwards in a lilting smile as the younger woman blushed lightly before taking a sudden interest in a damp spot tainting the dry black floors of their abode. The older woman scoffed, turning HER gaze toward the fire as she began tending to its majestic glory.
"We haven't kidnapped you," the dark haired man smiled patiently as he continued his protests. "In reality, you could say we saved your life," he wrinkled his nose, as if rethinking his previous statement. "Well actually, you have Inuyasha to thank for that. We just live here".
Kagome smiled amiably up at him before bursting into hearty laughter, clutching her sides as she stumbled backwards into the harsh wooden surface of a nearby wall. The three onlookers stared curiously at her for a few moments before she ceased her incessant giggling to peer innocently down at them. "Oh, I wasn't serious," she flashed a cheerful beam before continuing, "Well, you made it incredibly easy for me to escape, so I can assume that your intentions were honorable. That or you're just bumbling fools who call themselves villains to strengthen their self esteem. Either way, I harbor no reason to fear you," her expression grew serious for a moment as she stared awkwardly toward the twitching doorframe as the swinging wooden door shifted uncomfortably on its hinges. "I'm just wondering what happened to Cat-boy. I hope he's all right," her voice shook worriedly before giving way to a rueful laugh. "Of course, I have much more pressing wonders then that, but I don't suppose you could give me any answers to them," she hinted awkwardly, and both Miroku and Sango laughed at her proposal.
"Surprisingly, we know more then you think," Sango spoke up from her spot on the stiff ground, leaning forward onto her stomach to allow the ground to bear the brunt of her weight. She shifted to obtain a more comfortable position, then gave up on the task and drew herself up to her knees before stumbling awkwardly to her feet. "But I think it'd be best to wait for Inuyasha before we explain any further. He has a right to know after all".
"You know," Miroku stroked his chin thoughtfully, cocking an eye toward Kagome, "you look awfully familiar. This may sound insane, but I feel as if I've seen you somewhere before".
"Aye," Kaede spoke without glancing upward from nurturing the blaze as she waited for the inferno to blaze enough to risk attempting a suitable dinner. "Her resemblance to Kikyo is uncanny...," she trailed off thoughtfully, and Kagome was nearly positive she caught Kaede glancing wistfully at the blackened blaze before her.
"She looks nothing like that bitch," a harsh voice spat bitterly from above them, and all four shifted their gazes to focus upon Inuyasha as he strode confidently into the vicinity, shaking his mane of flowing white hair in strained relaxation as he collapsed upon the wooden surface, leaning up against the uneven walls as he draped his arms carelessly across his knees, wrinkling his blackened uniform in the process, though Kagome couldn't tell whether that was due to the strange color scheme currently invading her pupils or whether the earlier battle had roughed him up even more then she'd recognized.
"Ahh, Inuyasha," Kaede nodded respectfully toward him, her lips quirking upward in a knowing smile. "Welcome back. You're just in time to introduce yourself," she nodded in a gesture toward Kagome who sunk down beside him, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she gave him a hearty wave.
"So Inuyasha's your name, is it?" her feet gave way as she collapsed onto the ground, sprawling against the wall in a rumpled heap. "I'm Kagome," she withdrew her hand from its place draped listlessly at her side, pulling it before her in preparation for a reciprocate shake.
"Well that's bloody brilliant for you," he scowled darkly, glaring stonily at her before shifting his attention to Kaede, who had almost completed the task of readying the fires. "Are you sure this is the one, old hag? I thought ol' Midoriko would at least have the brains to choose a capable one".
Kagome's brow furrowed as she retracted her hand before shrugging half-heartedly and returning the ever present smile to her cheeks. "At least I'm capable of being friendly," she laughed dryly, strengthening her laughter when Inuyasha whirled around to focus his intense glare on her sparkling doey eyes, his white mane blowing stormily around his face, framing it in a way that made him appear even more callous and uncaring then she'd originally pegged him to be.
"She got you there," Miroku too had found a place against the walls, joined moments later by a reluctant Sango as they awaited further instructions from an apparently unobservant Kaede.
"So, Inuyasha," her gaze suddenly hardened in intense seriousness. "What exactly happened back there? And why did you get so worked up over Kikyo? And, just in case any of you know this, why the hell did I wind up here?" Lily rambled, clamping her mouth shut as she realized her incessant talk was void of any direction.
Inuyasha remained silent, jerking his head toward Kaede in a silent but expressive gesture. Since Kaede, however, seemed too involved with her immediate task to give the four awaiting onlookers much heed, Miroku took it upon himself to complete the introductions.
"Well let's see here, Kagome. I'm Miroku and this is Sango, my rampant sex monkey," he smiled pleasantly toward Sango, ignoring Kagome's appalled gasp and Inuyasha's blatant snort littering the pure silence of the background.
"Miroku," Sango's voice appeared the picture of tranquility as she continued to glare absorbedly into the cracks of the wooden floor. "I'm giving you until the count of five to beat it. If you fail to do so, I will string you up by your testicles and allow a particularly raunchy demon to have his way with you," she smiled icily at Miroku, ticking off his remaining seconds with smooth fingers.
Miroku scuttled hastily across the floor, winding up sprawled by Kagome's feet as he gasped in mock anguish before Sango even reached the number three. "Why Sango, I'm utterly appalled. Where on Earth you learned such vulgar language is beyond my understanding. I may very well have to call up your mother and-," he broke into a teasing grin as Sango scowled darkly before glaring maliciously at Miroku, her eyes oozing utter loathing.
"DON'T YOU DARE," she ground out, pointing a threatening finger toward him in ruthless promise. "OR I WILL KILL YOU!" her eyes shone with fiery anger as she crossed her arms callously before turning away from all three gaping onlookers, her nose pointed toward the sky as she shifted her gaze toward Kaede. "Is the food ready yet? I'm starved," she reverted back to her usual amiable demeanor in mere moments, attempting not to giggle as she heard the irritated sigh escape from Kaede's partially parted lips as they pointed upwards, appearing for all the world to Lily like a highly amused grin.
"Nearly," she stated hotly before shifting her attention to an ever pressing matter: dinner.
Kagome glanced from Sango to Miroku before emitting a nervous giggle at their antics in an attempt to break the awkward tension floating between them. "I suppose there are some inside jokes nobody's let me in on," she remarked idly, crinkling her eyelids in humor as she attempted to make eye contact with Inuyasha, sinking back dejectedly when she saw his livid scowl hadn't left its usual post of resting lightly on his lips, his eyes narrowing downward as he silently fumed.
Miroku immediately shifted closer to Kagome, a serene smile taking over his lips as he gazed intently at her slight form. She shifted uncomfortably beneath his gaze as she subconsciously scooted backwards toward Inuyasha, who, unlike Miroku, had no intention of eyeing her so brazenly, rather raising his eyebrows in utter repulsion as she drew near.
"You know Kagome," his voice suddenly took on a more sultry tone. "For a girl who's gone through so much, you appear awfully calm about the whole situation," he leaned in closer, and Kagome could feel her neck begin the process of perspiration as the sensation of his breath tickled her skin. "I like that in a girl".
The next sequence of events occurred almost simultaneously as Miroku's infamous wandering hand slipped downward toward Kagome's awaiting rear. At first, the room was drenched in a deadly silence as all four of its occupants glanced around nervously, unsure of the events that would transpire afterward. Then, suddenly, chaos erupted as Kagome emitted a high pitched shriek, drawing back her hand and driving it full force against Miroku's already throbbing cheek. Sango glared stonily at Miroku, and Inuyasha's boisterous laughter echoed throughout the room at the hilarity of the scene, growing even stronger when he swore he could see a tinge of hurt dabbing the edges of Sango's stony eyes, though they were subtle and practicably concealed.
"You three are the most idiotic people I've ever had the misfortune to meet," Kaede sighed disapprovingly before gazing sympathetically at Kagome, who had proceeded to scoot as far away from Miroku as humanly possible without physically touching Inuyasha, who looked less then pleased with the seating arrangement. Sango sighed morosely, and Kaede shook her head in annoyance.
"Honestly, there are much more pressing matters on our hands then this idiocy," she chirped matter of factly before tenderly stroking the fire a final time before allowing it to gradually burn out.
"There were pressing matters on Miroku's hands too," Sango muttered darkly, though the comment was only capable to Inuyasha with his keen hearing, and he couldn't succeed in repressing his muffled snort, earning him odd glances from both Kagome and Miroku.
"Look, you three, I'm being serious," Kaede shifted her intense gaze to each of them in turn, daring them with her stony eyes to continue their nonsense. When they gradually lapsed into silence, she seized the opportunity to begin her tale.
"All right, Kagome, this is vital to your survival here, so I'd listen up if I were you," she smiled kindly at Kagome whose ears perked up at her rather intimidating words. "Where should I begin this...".
"Start with the divide," Sango suggested encouragingly, internally wishing Kaede weren't so painstakingly slow all of the time, then mentally scolded herself for even considering such things. Kaede was, after all, like a grandmother to her, and the two were extremely close.
Kaede shifted on the ground before proceeding to begin her tragic tale. "Years ago, before this planet was graced with any of our presences, the world was divided into kingdoms. Kings and queens reined above all others and were treated with the utmost respect or sought after and brutally slaughtered. Horrible times, Kagome. You never knew who exactly you could trust. One bad word against any ruler and you'd run for fear of your life, since you never knew who could be listening in on your every conversation. One such king was even more ruthless then the rest, and his lands hated him above all others, though they'd never speak their qualms aloud. He had two sons, the older which took after him immensely, and the younger, quieter one, that we suspect inherited more of his dear mother's traits.
The younger one, whose name was Charles, resented the older one, whose name was William, greatly. As the older son, William was one day to inherit the title of king, so naturally most of the kingdom's attentions were focused on William and little thought ever drifted to Charles, who basically existed in the background. He didn't mind so much not being in the public spotlight, actually he was quite thankful for his privacy, but he felt he always came in second to William in the eyes of his parents, his father especially. When he finally came of age, he took off on a year long vacation to supposedly "find himself". Rumor has it that he traveled to the Western Lands, but nobody's all that sure, and frankly, nobody really cares. A year later he returned on the scene of royalty, only to find both his parents dead and his brother ruthlessly commanding the subjects and citizens to participate in vile activities. Horrible things, Kagome, you have no idea. Most of it involved the slaying of demons, our allies for the past century. The demons fought side by side with us in battle, lived with us in our villages, and most didn't even give a thought to demonic identities. Befriending a demon was no different then befriending a human.
Charles returned as a newlywed, recently married to a demon girl from the mountains, Angelique. Their bond was stronger then any I'd ever heard, and Charles wouldn't even consider turning her over to his loathed brother. So when William called Charles to execute Angelique, Charles blatantly refused. To make a long story short, war soon threatened to overflow the shores of our lands. On William's side, we have the humans, forced to fight under him in fear of their lives, and on Charles', the demons, fighting in defense of their freedom.
War raged for years, and in the end, nobody was truly deemed victorious. Eventually both William and Charles died in battle, and to this day, nobody's absolutely sure about Angelique's whereabouts. But these events left a permanent scar on the surface of friendship in regards to the human/demon population. The demons were feeling betrayed by the humans for threatening to exterminate them, and the humans as well felt betrayed, for many lives had been lost in those battles at the hands of demons. The cloth of bonding we'd knit so tightly steadily unraveled until nothing left then a single thread kept us from ripping one another's throats out. Finally the demons seceded from our lands, taking a few choice humans (who believed in their cause) with them, and the humans captured a few of the weaker demons to use as house slaves. The scar had ripped through the thin tissue connecting us, and the wounds inflicted upon pride don't heal quickly. It's been hundreds of years, and to this day the groups of Black and White will not come within ten feet of each other. Black being the Pro Demon group, though forty percent of it consists of humans, as demons are increasingly rarer then your average human. The whites are the Anti Demon group, consisting only ten percent of demons, and those are nothing more then powerless servants.
Of course, there are some who tired of the immense loathing between the two groups and who'd like nothing more then to see peace reign once again throughout the lands. This group is called "Gray" and are not to be trusted by either side, since almost all Grays are thought to be spies for the other side, whomever that may be at the moment. It's quite a complicated triangle, but the point is that if you're to survive here, you'll need to pick your group. Become prejudice as Black or White, and you'll need to leave our humble village, for we here are Grays, and if you're seen in our company and associated with us, you'll never be able to clear your name," she finished breathlessly, staring intensely at Kagome as if trying to assess the girl's expression. "So pray tell, child, what do you choose?"
"Wow," Kagome glanced downward apprehensively. "That's a pretty, erm, intense story, but I'm not sure if I can remember it all," she glanced worriedly at Kaede who chuckled heartily, bouncing lightly in her mirth.
"Child, you don't need to remember all this. We just need to know how to categorize you to decide what information to feed you next. We do have a favor to ask of you, but we must know your decision before we ask it," her gaze suddenly slipped back into that of a mature grandmother.
"Well in that case, I don't even have to make a choice. I've always been against any sort of prejudice, no matter what the cause. Gray it is," she nodded in determined resolve, her eyes sparkling beamingly when they locked upon the proud smile fixed on Kaede's worn lips. She parted them to speak, but Inuyasha broke in before she had the chance.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" he spoke directly to the wall, but Kagome knew he was addressing her. "That mirror of yours may malfunction, and if by some chance you get stuck here, you might regret that decision. You may have said that you're against prejudice, but by joining us, people will be prejudiced against YOU. Is that really what you want?" his tone was patronizing, but Kagome could sense an entirely different emotion behind it, though she couldn't detect its identity. Idly she wondered how he even knew about the mirror, but decided asking wasn't worth the agony he'd end up feeding her.
"Yes, that's what I want," Kagome's unfaltering gaze bore into the back of Inuyasha's white mane, willing him to turn around and meet her stare with one of his own. "I've never actually met a demon before, but from Kaede's description, they sound like perfectly nice, er, beings," she smiled warmly as Inuyasha turned to face her, his gaze cold and calculating, as if searching her own for traces of doubt. His lips quirked upward in a halfway pleasant smirk as he turned back toward the older woman, and Kagome could barely repress a happy shriek at her almost immediate progress.
"Well Kagome," Kaede spoke again, grinning almost cheerily as images of a shining colorful rainbrow circulated through the abyss of her mind, "It's time to tell you why you're here," she cleared her throat in preparation. "A hundred years to date, there was a particularly rebellious Gray who called herself Midoriko. She was a miko, one of the last of her line to be precise, which gave her immense spiritual power," she scowled at Kagome's skeptical gaze. "After everything you've seen today, you can't believe in spiritual power?" she shook her head in disbelief. "Teenagers these days... anyhow, Midriko absolutely loathed the prejudice between Black and White, as do we all, but she had the power to do something about it. The Whites had killed her demon husband, and in retaliation, she decided to punish both sides of the coin by using the remainder of her spiritual energy to create a prophecy. She decided that if the majority of people wanted to view the world in black and white terms, by all means, give the people what they want. This world has been void of color ever since," she sighed wistfully before continuing. "The sheer power this took was enough claim the life of a thousand mikos, and she herself was no different. Her death occurred momentarily, but her last thoughts were forever recorded on a slip of parchment that has been passed down through the years to the descendants of her closest friend, my grandmother. She couldn't pass it on to her own descendants, for they were a rather bloodthirsty lot, and she didn't place even an ounce of trust in them," her voice became tinged with specks of pride as she continued.
"The prophecy is written in words only a fifth degree scholar could understand, so I'll lay it out in laymen's terms. There are three tokens: Black, White, and Gray. Nobody has even the slightest clue of their shape or their location, and if any do then they're keeping mightily quiet about it. One of all sides must work together to achieve this goal: a former black, a former white, and one whose lineage doesn't originate from either. That's where you come in Kagome," she smiled at Kagome's perplexed look as she continued.
"Midoriko's most prized possession was the Mirror of Versitude. I'm not exactly sure what it does, but it allowed her to locate the 'other- worldian' of her choice, which coincidentally was Kagome here. She requested that the mirror be burned with her body, and her requests were directly filled. Somehow she arranged for the mirror to regenerate in your world, Kagome, which I assume is how you arrived here," she paused to allow Kagome's jerky nod.
"You must aide us in our search. Once we have all three tokens, we must use them to call upon Midoriko's spirit who, we hope, will aide us in the next section of our task. It may take ages to complete, but once we accomplish our goal, the world will once again be filled with color, and hopefully the common bond of victory will seal the wounds of pride and allow peace to reign once more, at least amongst the majority," she added ruefully.
"Wow," Kagome silenced thoughtfully, subconsciously weighing her options in the shortest of time spans. "What's the danger level?" she inquired reluctantly, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.
Sango bristled at her statement. "Kagome, the danger level is quite high," she ignored the stern glares she was receiving from both Miroku and Kaede. "What? There's no reason to sugarcoat it. Kagome, this task could very well be the death of you, but we're all well versed in combat, and we'll do our best to protect you," she finished softly, shooting Kagome an encouraging smile. "We don't want to force you into anything, and we know this is all rather sudden, but we really do need to move quickly".
"Right," Kagome nodded meekly. "Can you give me the night to think it over? I'm sorry if it's a burden but this is all happening really fast. Just 24 hours ago I was on a plane to Kyoto, and now I'm told that I'm the key to saving an alternate universe?" she chuckled dryly.
Miroku nodded without a moment's hesitation. "Of course, Lily. I'm actually surprised you haven't driven yourself into a panicking frenzy by now. I probably would've, and I'm said to be the picture of serenity," he ignored Sango's scoff echoing in the background.
"Thanks," Kagome smiled gratefully at him, though she still hadn't driven the night's earlier events from her mind, and therefore still sat primly as far away from Miroku as she could scoot. She glanced up at Inuyasha to see his outlook on the situation, and she couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter when she saw he lay fast asleep, his lips slightly parted as his head lolled to one side and a speck of drool hovered on his upper lip as he slumbered.
Looks like it's gonna be a long night...