Kagome: goddess of Japan
Chapter 7 The temple of Kagome.
As Kagome settles into the warm tub for her soak, she watches them begin to open up the make-up drawers, drag out the padded stole for her to sit on, while they make up her face and hair. Everything is perfectly professional.
She thinks, 'while the stories in Europe and the ottoman empire are wrong, there are times in which things do get sensual during this time.'
She thinks, 'During the quest for the jewel, Sango and I would cry on each other's shoulders, especially on those days that Miroku and Inu-yasha were being asses. We did, rarely, while we were comforting each other, comfort each other in sensual, ways. But, especially since we were always moving from combat to combat, that did not become something that we did at every bath.'
Kagome conceals a sigh, 'and then, when my powers as a goddess began to grow, things began to change. My empathic powers were and are still very sensitive to sensual feelings.'
A small smile appears on her face. 'I can remember waking up, on multiple occasions, with Inu-yasha, or Sesshomaru, or Miroku and Sango in my futon. My powers would find a sensual dream and broadcast it. Then, in a positive feedback loop, the sensual feelings would grow, and we'd end up in an unplanned orgy. Sometimes the whole village would be involved.'
'I've learned to control that power, but, not before doing things that I'd never have done on my own.' She thinks.
Kagome thinks, 'over the years, I've decided that I will have sex, but, unlike those stories in Europe and ottoman empire, it was rarely spontaneous or private these days. As a fertility goddess, sex is a part, not an everyday part, but a part, of my worship. So, like the first time Inu-yasha and I had sex, I do lead, in public, various fertility festivals.'
Kagome's directs her mental powers toward Inu-yasha. She can feel that he is having his morning massage, and is turning down some not so subtle hints of his female masseur about sex.
'Tonight, after the grand ball, but before I meet with Kiyoko, he and I will make love. Which is why he is turning her down, so he can be well rested for tonight. But, everyone in the household, and everyone that pays attention to our schedules, knows that.'
A semi-surprised look appears on Kagome's face, 'I can't remember the last time that I had sex that, at least, my servants, if not hundreds of people, did not know about it.'
A thoughtful look appears on Kagome's face, as she thinks, 'no doubt the fact that I have no real privacy has twisted my life, including my sex-life, into strange channels.'
Kagome climbs out of the pool, allows her servants to dry her and sits down on a backless chair that they take out of a closest.
They pull out a wheeled chest, with a mirror, and her servants begin to apply her make-up and style her hair.
'uggh.' Kagome thinks. 'This is one of the parts of each day that I do dislike. All of the make-up does irrate my skin, even with the time and effort I've spent trying to improve the make-up. And my hair! It has to be styled just right and held in place.'
She sighs.
One of her servants whispers into her ear, "Mother? We know that you don't like this, but."
"I know." Kagome says with another sigh, "appearances must be keep up. One of these days I'm going to show up at my temple, with no make-up and my hair flowing freely behind, just to see the looks on the peoples faces." She finishes speaking in a semi-exasperated voice.
The servants giggle around her as they finish their job. That statement or something similar Kagome says, at least, once a week.
Kagome sighs again. "Just not today."
"Of course, mother." They chorus as they giggle.
Kagome smiles and shakes her head, gently. The girl fixing her hair makes a clucking noise as she has to quickly pin-up Kagome's hair.
"Sorry." Kagome whispers.
"It's ok." The servant says. "I was almost done."
Kagome stands up, holds out her arms and her servants begin to dress her.
Not only do they put on her magical kimono, but, additional heavier layered kimonos are added.
Kagome hides her sigh, as the clothes go on. 'Ceremonial dresses. Sigh. I have to give the people want they expect. But, if only they knew how heavy and restrictive these clothes are.'
Kagome purses her lips for a second. 'hmm. My body's strength and dexterity are much greater than normal. I wonder how much of it is from just wearing these clothes, basically, every day.'
The servants finally finish and move away, allowing Kagome to view herself in the mirror.
Her long black hair has been arraigned in a complex, multiple loop style, braced by a couple of long jeweled combs, with additional jeweled pins to help.
Her white facial make-up softens the light, as it should, so when she's on television her appearance remains soft and constant. Kagome raises her right eyebrow, and watches the fake eyebrow that is painted above her real one rise as well.
'Early on, I tried to get the girls not to paint that fake eyebrow, but the couple of times that I didn't appear in the temple with it, questions and comments were made.' She conceals a sigh.
'I didn't need any extra questions at the time so I went back to having the girls paint on the fake eyebrow. And it worked. People liked it and they stopped questioning me, and since I keep up the appearances, they didn't question me as I started to change things behind the scenes.' She conceals a snort. 'And to keep up appearances I have to wear clothes that would make a suit of iron armor seem light and flexible.'
She tries to shrug her shoulders but the bejeweled, gold, silver and platinum thread clothes just barely move.
'Now, I wear them in make-up, and Rin does when she takes my place, but, nobody else has to. Oh, there are still women that will shave their eyebrows and paint new ones high on their foreheads, but even that custom is slowly fading.'
"You are ready, mother." The head of her servants says.
"Yes." Kagome replies. "Thank you." She stiffly (given her make-up and hairstyle, that only type of movement she can do) nods to them, "I'm ready."
Kagome uses her telekinetic powers to lift herself off the ground and glides to and through the door as it opens.
'Everyone thinks that I actually walk when I'm dressed like this.' Kagome thinks with a grin. 'No way, I float. It's a lot faster than trying to walk in these clothes.'
Hoshi is standing at the door, waiting for Kagome to appear.
Kagome nods to her. "My schedule?"
Hoshi replies, "your standard morning, mother. You travel to the temple for morning services. And then, after them, you'll have your traditional morning audiences at the temple."
Kagome nods.
Kagome and Hoshi travel down the corridor, everyone bows low to Kagome and they say, "mother."
The corridor is busier than the others that Kagome has walked through. Many of the people in it appear to be waiting until Kagome passes, and then, they quickly move on.
Kagome nods, stiffly, to them. A couple of times, she will stop for a second, call a person to her and give them a word or two of praise or encouragement.
Kagome thinks, 'it's easy to fall into the habit of punishing people. When a person does something wrong, you know it. And punishing them is the easy solution. But, over the years, I've found that praising people for doing something better works as well, if not better, than that.'
Hoshi as she walks beside Kagome, thinks, 'every day, once grandmother puts on her make-up, she always tries to find someone, as we walk to the subway, to praise or to thank.'
Her eyes flick to Kagome. 'I once, years ago, asked her about it. She said then, everyone in her household knows her habit. Many of them, especially after they've done something that they think that they need to be praised for, will wander down this corridor, at this time of the morning, hoping for an acknowledgment that she knows what they've done. She tries to praise them, and by paying attention to who is in the corridor that is new, or shouldn't be there, she can call up their records and find out why they think that they need to be noticed.'
Hoshi smiles. 'Then, grandmother smiled at me and said, besides, I want to start the day praising people, not blaming them.'
Kagome and Hoshi enter another elevator that takes them further down into the earth, then through a corridor, until finally the reach Kagome's private subway station.
From here, she can travel throughout the city and beyond, without having to tie up traffic on the surface. There is still some occasional traffic snarls between the subway trains, but that isn't as visible as if it was on the surface.
Waiting besides her private train is some of Kagome's priesthood.
They are a mixed group of about a dozen men and women. Many of them are Japanese, but, there are priests of different races as well.
They are all dressed in traditional Japanese kimonos. Although the non-Japanese members of the group do have something on their person that is traditional for their culture. (The one from north America has a feather tied in his hair, for example.)
As Kagome moves to them, they all bow deeply to her.
"You may rise." Kagome says.
"Other." Hikari, her current high priestess says. Hiraki trances her heritage back to Sango and Miroku, but the main reason that she's the high priestess is her organizational skills and her ability to run the bureaucracy.
"Hikari" Kagome says. "How are you and everyone else, today?"
"I'm fine, mother." Hikari replies. The others say the same in chorus with her.
Kagome's lips twitch at the unintentional chorus.
Hikari arms wave toward the wait gleaming, spotless subway car. "Everything is ready."
Kagome nods and steps into the car, the others, including Hoshi, follow.
Due to her clothes, make-up and hairstyle, Kagome remains standing as the electric train begins to move.
"Is there anything important that's come up?" Kagome asks.
"Nothing that important." Hikari says.
Tizoc, a male American Indian priest, clears his throat.
"Yes, Tizoc," Kagome says as she slowly spins to face him.
"Mother." Tizoc clears his throat again, swallows and continues, with. "A lot of the more mystical priests, especially those with some ability to see into the future are." His voice begins to trail off.
Kagome sighs. "They are having nightmares. Bad visions, and so forth, correct?"
Tizoc nods. He quickly says, "I know that precognition is not an exact science." Most of the others in the car snort or hide their expressions behind their hands, fans or hand-held computers.
"That is fine, Tizoc." Kagome says. "And," She sighs, "not unexpected."
"Mother." Hiraki says in a soft voice. "Does that mean that the tensions between us and the followers of the god of Abraham?"
Authors' note: god of Abraham: Kagome's shorthand for Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. All three religions have at it's starting point the old testament of the Hebrews and that is based on the pledge that god gave Abraham.
"Are increasing?" Kagome asks, but before anyone can answer, she says, "They are. Those mystics are seeing some of the results."
Everyone in the car takes a deep breath and looks at Kagome.
"But, that doesn't mean the end of the world." Kagome smiles. "Precognition is not accurate. Especially if you are trying to take my actions into account."
Everyone in the car, relaxes, sighs, and nods in agreement with Kagome.
Hikari, the high priestess thinks, 'mother is right. Mystics can see the future, but. Kagome, is a goddess and since she came from the future, to help guide us in the correct way of life, predicting her actions has always been impossible. All of the time-based magic around her and her household simply makes it worse. As she has grown more and more powerful, it has become harder and harder to predict her future and the future of the world.'
She looks at Tizoc, 'His father is one of the more powerful mystics. He must have told him something powerful to get him to mention it to Mother. I wonder what he told his son and what he left out?'
"Anything else?" Kagome asks.
"Mother." Keiko, she is one of Kagome's real daughters, and it shows with her inu-yasha like ears, says, "the recruitment drive for new priests." She stops there.
"Go ahead, daughter."
"We are having difficulties, mother. The numbers of new priests that you want are far more than you've every asked to recruit and train."
"Continue the effort." Kagome replies. "Do you need more money or other resources?"
Keiko coughs, "more money is always good."
Everyone in the car smiles knowingly at that statement.
Keiko continues speaking, though, saying, "one of my recruiters, though, wondered, since this is a special increase in the number of priests, if perhaps a temporary relaxation of some of the standards."
"No." Kagome says in a tight voice.
Keiko looks down at her feet, obviously embarrassed. Everyone else in the car looks away from her or looks at Kagome.
Kagome continues saying, "I've tried that before when the numbers of priests dropped lower than I like." She gives a small laugh. "And for a short period of time, it does work. But, being one of my priests is a lifetime job, so, those additional priests, accepted under the ideas of looser standards, remain, even after the emergency. And, that does lead to more problems in future."
"I am sorry, mother." Keiko whispers in a choked voice. "I just."
"Keiko," Kagome says in a soft, reassuring voice, "you are doing what should be doing. You are looking for new and better ways to increase the number of priests. And I want you to continue to do so. Not all ideas or plans are good or even if they look good on paper, will those plans work in reality."
"Thank you, mother." Keiko says.
"Hmmmm . . . " Kagome purses her lips. "What are the plans for increases the training of priests? That way, you could accept some people with lesser abilities, but with the proper training?"
"In the works, mother." Keiko says in a stronger voice. "That is where I'll be putting any additional monies."
Kagome looks at Hikari.
Hikari nods and says, "There are some slush funds that can be shifted quickly and easily. Although, mother, since you want this to be a long term increase in the number of priests, I will have to increase the training budget in the long term."
Kagome nods as she thinks, 'With an approaching war, I'll need more priests, especially for the integration of new territory afterward. They are the in the front line as they lead the new people in the empire and they must be, therefore, the best people that I can find.'
Kagome says, "also look at assistants for priests."
Keiko nods. "Those plans are being finalized, now, mother. I should have them for you, soon."
'I can use the assistant priests in the Empire,' Kagome thinks, 'the people of the empire already believe in me and my religion, all they need is some supervision, whereas the new people will need stronger guidance, and as such, will need the stronger priests.'
"We are at the temple, mother." One of the other priests says as the car slows to a stop.
"Thank you." Kagome says as she spins herself toward the door.
In her temple, unlike in her household, when people see her in the corridor, they all bend down and genuflect by place one knee on the ground, as they show their respect and worship for Kagome. Kagome nods to them, acknowledging their service to her.
As she moves down the underground corridors of her temple Kagome thinks, 'now is the time when I show my differences with the god of Abraham. He never makes a mistake. Every day, I always acknowledge mine.'
Kagome travels up an elevator and down a couple more corridors, before stopping in front of a pair of huge wooden doors. The doors have Kagome's spreading oak tree design on them.
Kagome takes a deep breath and the doors open.
The room behind the doors is a huge room.
The ceiling is reinforced glass, so the sunlight shines in. The walls are covered in small, about one shyaku (about a foot) by one shyaku, white tile. Each tile has various words written on them. There are thousands and thousands of them lining the wall.
The floor is beautiful mosaic of many and various peaceful scenes. A waterfall over a spring mountain meadow. A magnificent sunrise over a rice field. Waves slowly rolling over a white beach.
All of the scenes, blends, into one huge mosaic of a spreading oak tree.
Kagome's eyes flick to the tiles. 'In this room is all of my mistakes. On each one of those tiles is the name and a short history of everyone that has died, violently, in my service. If I was doing my job better, than they would not have died.'
Kagome stately makes her way to the center of the mosaic. She stops and looks at Hikari.
Hikari, her eyes flick to the cameras. 'Now, it begins.'
Hikari nods.
Music begins to play in the background. It is a long, slow drudge.
Hikari slowly walks to one of the walls. She carefully takes a tile off the wall and goes over to Kagome.
She respectively fully hands the tile to Kagome.
Kagome looks at the tile and in a slow clear voice begins to speak.
"Shibasaski Yoichi. You were a fine soldier. You died in my service. You died because I could not find a better solution."
Kagome's voice catches. "I am sorry." Tears begin to form in her eyes.
the end of chapter 7
Authors' note: I meant to put this as a note for ch 6, but the notes for that chapter were just too long, so.
As part of Kagome's environmental message, there is a lot of recycling, and a very through attempt to use everything possible to reduce pollution, so.
Like in historical japan, the Japanese empire uses human and animal waste (shit, to be blunt) as fertilizer. Yes, it is not as good as the artificial stuff, but, on the other you do not need industrial plants to make it. And trash/waste needs to be used, not put in dumps and ignored.
So, like most people in the empire, Kagome's waste products are recycled into fertilizer.
Of course being from a goddess it does have special properties of it's own. It makes even the best artificial fertilizer seem like plant killers, not fertilizers, that's how good it is. So, it is stored and used on the poorest of soils to improve them, or during droughts/natural disaster, some of it goes into space, to help the lunar base grows its food.
I wish to thank all the readers that reviewed.
To answer some of the specific comments.
D-mob: Baseball is very popular. (When they say world series in her world, they mean it. Teams exist throughout Asia, Australia, Africa, North & South America. Very complex playoff rules, don't ask me to detail them.) Kagome brought the rules with her and taught Shippo and the village kids to play it. Later on in this story, she'll visit the stadium where the baseball team of Edo plays. (The other American sports she wasn't into, so while, the rules for them exist, they have never become popular.)
As far as music goes . . . Traditional music forms are emphasized. That doesn't mean that other types don't exist, but their popularity will be minimal. (The key is if the lyrics. If they promote harmony, the music is fine. IF the lyrics promote hate, anger, etc., then the artist will have a hard time and the song will have a harder time getting played.)
De man: She is raising Kiyoko for a specific reason, and, yes, she is raising her incorrectly. She knows it. Everyone knows it. Why, only Kagome knows. And yes, you are correct, I made a typo. That should have been Miroku not Shippo in that line.
Akuma river and Cammerz: the relationship between Kagome and sess. is not what it was. How it will affect things? We'll have to read and see . . .
TheMaven; interaction between the main characters in this, initial storyline, will be smaller than I would like, but I want to set up the world. Please note that once I finish this initial set up storyline, then things will change.
Kellie: don't worry about the sex scenes in this storyline. There will be some later in the story. (Inu-kag and Kiyoko/Miroku, but that is many chapter in the future.)
Since this is a huge project, I'll going to try something new.
I am creating a website for this story. On this website, I'll post some of my notes, explanations. (I
do plan, that during the story itself, these notes will be used, but, the storyline might hide some of
the details.)
The site has a message board, and a chat room, so, fans of the story can post messages, etc. I do
plan on visiting the site, at least once a day and I will reply to the messages on the site.
(I have been slacking off of responding to reviewers. I am sorry about that. I fully intend to
better respond to reviews and comments on this story. Which is one of the reasons why I'm
trying this site, to see if this will help me.)
The site is at: (remove the spaces for the link)
groups. msn. com/ jeffsfanfic
On it, right now, sept 27, I've got posted a rough time line and 6 other small essays, and rough maps showing the growth
of Japan's empire. There is still a lot of work to do on the site. I'm planning on posting additional
notes as time passes.
Thank you for reading
jeff shelton