Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'm back from vacation and full of new ideas. Thank you to all who read and reviewed; your help and support is greatly appreciated! Here is chappy three for you guys out there, I hope you like it. Remember Mel-chan acknowledges all her reviewers (with or without a name). ^_^
Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi floats happily in a pool filled with money and talks on her cell phone about her latest Inu chapter; she is surrounded by screaming fans. Mel-chan sits happily by an empty, Barbie-mini pool, acting out (with little sticks) scenes from Inuyasha. She has no money, no fans, and no cell phone. I ask you this, "Who REALLY owns Inuyasha?"
The Will of the Heart
Ch. 3: Waking up and Passing out
Kagome could feel the sun on her face. It's warm rays washed over and seemed to revitalize her tired features, worn from the pain and anguish of recent events. She felt terrible, as if she had died in the hours since the attack, her whole body ached and stung with every breath she drew and every so often a tremor of pain would creep down her spine. Lamely, she opened her sleep filled eyes, half expecting to wake up in a ditch on the side of the road. What she saw surprised her.
She was lying on a king-sized bed in a large, elaborately decorated room. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, vividly colored paintings; placed in golden frames; decorated the walls, and in the corner a double glass door led out to a large stone balcony. The silk curtains, that hung over the doors, were drawn back; letting the sun pour into the room and filling it with light. Needless to say, it was a dramatic change from the crazed war zone she had only previously witnessed.
She weakly glanced under her sheets to find that her bloodstained Kimono was now replaced by a clean, white one and her many wounds were wrapped in bandages.
Kagome continued to let her eyes roam across the room, drifting over the white walls and past the closet doors, they landed on a cushioned chair to the right of her bed. There, on top of it, was a sleeping Rin.
Almost as if she had known Kagome was now awake, the little girl sturred from her own slumber.
"But Sesshoumaru-Sama . . ." she muttered still half asleep. Blinkingly, she opened her eyes, staring into the face of the Princess. The girl suddenly perked up, her eyes now wide and alive.
"You're awake!" she squeaked happily.
Kagome winced from the volume of the child's voice, her head still throbbing.
Rin instantly softened her tone. "Hello! My name is Rin, I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance. You've been sleeping for a long time!"
Kagome smiled at the energy the girl contained, "Hi Rin, my name's Kagomee. . ." Her voice cracked and broke. She blushed a deep crimson. The girl hadn't realized her throat was so dry; even the simplest words, now felt foreign in her mouth.
"Are you feeling better?"
"Yes," she lied. "Where am I?"
"You're in the Inutaisho castle of course, silly," Rin laughed.
Kagome's eyes widened. Kirara had done just what she asked. She was in the Inutaisho Kingdom!
The two girls looked up from their small conversation as the door quietly creaked open and a person stepped into the room.
"Good morning." A woman dressed in a beautiful, ten-layer Kimono with charcoal hair, reaching the floor, stood elegantly in the doorway.
"Lady Inutaisho!" Rin rushed towards the woman and bowed. "She woke up!"
The woman looked up at Kagome and smiled, her eyes giving off an incredible warmth and pleasantness.
"Have you been here all night, Rin?" the older woman asked, turning back to the child.
"Hai!"
Kagome sat there dumbfounded. She couldn't believe that the woman that stood in front of her was Lady Inutaisho. When she thought of the Queen, in the past, she had always imagined an older woman with pale features and cold eyes. She had never once thought her gorgeous and, though it was not the case, not much older than herself.
"I'm glad you're awake," she said, turning again to Kagome, "I was beginning to think you would sleep forever. How are you feeling?"
"A little better," Kagome lied, yet again.
"Rin, why don't you go fetch our guest some water and clean bandages?"
"Yes, my Lady!" Rin squeaked, hoping off.
The woman moved forward, sitting in the chair Rin had abandoned. Without a word, she reached into the sleeve of her Kimono and withdrew a glistening, metallic object.
"Does this belong to you?" she asked, holding it up.
Looking at it, Kagome gasped, "My bracelet!!!!"
"So it is yours." Lady Inutaisho gently handed the charmed chain back to its owner. "I wasn't sure when I found it. I would've asked you earlier, but you were unconscious. You've been asleep for two days, dear. We were all sure you were going to die."
Kagome gazed down at the bracelet, "Me too. I was sure I was going to die too."
"I don't know if I could live after wounds as great as yours. How strong you must be to overcome them."
Kagome offered a quick smile of thanks, but it faded quickly. The gentle hum of silence entered the room and engulfed the two women, now both lost in their own thoughts.
Lady Inutaisho raised her head and glanced at Kagome from the corner of her eyes. A melancholy cloud seemed to consume the girl and it was not hard for one to see the physical as well as mental pain that marked her gentle face. Something terrible had to have happened to create such a sorrowful look. Which made the woman wonder, 'Could this really be her?'
"Dear," Lady Inutaisho said, preparing to ask the question that had tormented her mind for days. "That bracelet . . . the name on it clearly reads 'Kagome'. Might you be Princess Higuarashi, Kagome?"
Kagome looked up and nodded her head, unfazed by the question. "Yes."
"Thank Kami!!!" Lady Inutaisho exclaimed and, without thinking, threw her arms around the Princess.
"Eeepp!" Kagome yelped from the sudden contact.
"Gomen nasai!!! the woman gasped as she withdrew her arms. "You must forgive me, but I'm just so glad that you're alive. "After I heard the news that you're kingdom was attacked, I was absolutely sick with worry! And now you're here and. . . and it's a miracle!"
Lady Inutaisho pulled herself together and smiled sweetly, "Please let me start over. I am Seira Inutaisho, Queen of the Inutaisho kingdom and widow of, the late, Lord Inutaisho. I, humbly welcome you, Princess Higuarashi, Kagome to our kingdom."
Lady Inutaisho took a deep breath. "Sorry about all that. I assure you it's strictly routine."
Kagome smiled and nodded. She felt a little better now that the tension was taken out of the air, however, she wished she was as loquacious as the bubbly Queen was. Even after prolonged coma, she was, still, dead tired.
"I'm back!"
Rin hopped happily into the room, holding a goblet of water and a arm filled with fresh, cloth bandages. At her heels was a small, yellow, cat demon.
"Kirara!" Kagome exclaimed.
The feline "mewed" and jumped into Kagome's waiting arms.
"Kirara, you're here. Thank you so much!" Kagome whispered, holding the cat to her chest.
"She's so kawaii!" Rin gushed.
"Is she yours?" Lady Inutaisho asked.
"No, she belongs to my best friend, Sango. If it wasn't for her, I would have never survived the attack." Kagome's head drooped a little, her eyes becoming sad and distant.
Lady Inutaisho cast a sympathetic smile on the girl and turned to Rin. "Could you dress Kagome-Hime's wounds, please."
"Yes, my lady," Rin said hopping over to the bed. She gently peeled back the silk covers that were drawn over Kagome, to begin tending to the gashes on her legs. Slowly, she unwrapped the blood stained bandages but suddenly stopped.
"My lady,"she said turning, "could you look at this, please."
Lady Inutaisho timidly peered over and gasped.
"Is something the matter?"
"Your wounds," Lady Inutaisho managed, "they're nearly gone!"
Kagome stared back at the, nearly, speechless woman, lost in pure confusion.
"Only yesterday, my dear, you were losing so much blood, we thought you were going to bleed to death and now, today, your wounds are almost completely healed."
"In other words, you recover quickly!" Rin smiled.
The Princess absently nodded her head. Though inside she had a feeling that there was something more to the story.
For the next fifteen minutes the same routine played out: Rin would change the bandages on Kagome's many wounds, Lady inutaisho would gawk at how fast Kagome was healing, and Kagome would be left with more questions than answers.
Wrapping the last bandage around her arm, Rin announced that she was done.
Kagome closed her eyes and allowed a small sigh to escape her lips. This little visit had drained her of all the energy she had left in her body; she would be glad when she could go back to sleep.
Lady Inutaisho stood up from her chair. "Rin, we should let the Princess get her rest. We don't want her condition worsening."
Rin hopped over to the Queen and smiled back at Kagome, " I hope you feel better Kagome-Hime!"
"Thank you."
Lady Inutaisho waited until Rin had skipped out the door before turning back to the girl.
"I know you've been through a lot and have witnessed some things you would have rather had not. You don't a have to talk about now, but if you ever need to, I'll be more than willing to listen."
Kagome brightened, at the woman's proposal, but, darkened again as she ventured her next question.
"My family! Do you where they are? How they are?"
Lady Inutaisho frowned, and replied, "We don't yet, but I've sent many of our soldiers as well as Inuyasha's brother, Sesshoumaru to look for them. As soon as I know anything, you'll be the first one I tell."
Flashing a quick grin over to Kagome, Lady Inutaisho was gone.
Kagome let her head slide back onto her pillow. 'Mom, Dad, Souta, Buyo, and even you Kikyou. Where are you all?'
As she lay there, Kagome was only faintly aware of tears, now silently rolling down her cheeks and falling off her long lashes.
"Mewww," Kirara squeaked, hopping onto Kagome's chest. She gently purred and nestled up against her, making a desperate effort to consol the grief-stricken girl. It was no use, however, as her tears just wouldn't stop falling.
"Oh Kirara!" the Princess cried, throwing her arms around the feline and sobbing uncontrollably. "You must miss your Mistress. Goodness knows I do!"
'SANGO!!!'
'Please be safe, I need you all by my side!'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Inuyasha, happily, walked down the hall.
"Ahhh," he sighed stretching his arms out.
It was the first time in four days that he'd emerged from his room and he had to admit, he liked the bright, active atmosphere of the castle much better than the gloomy, secluded space, that he called his own. He probably would have still been in there too, if he hadn't gotten wind of the most recent news.
The Higuarashi kingdom had been attacked.The whole place was in shambles, from the Higuarashi castle to the neighboring countryside. Youkai were now thick in the once Ningen populated kingdom and reports back to his own castle said there were very few survivors. Somehow, Inuyasha doubted very much that a Princess, specifically Princess Kagome, would be one of those few lucky ones.
'I must be really terrible,' Inuyasha thought to himself, 'to want a girl dead just for my own selfish purposes.'
He paused for a moment, as if considering this, but then brushed it off, "Oh well."
He continued on his way down the corridor when something caught his attention. A foreign smell hung in the air, something that Inuyasha had never detected before. It wasn't an unpleasant scent, in fact it was very pleasing to the Hanyou's sensitive nose.
It smelled sweet, and something along the lines of a bouquet of wild flowers mixed with soft, steady rainfall. But there was another part that the boy could not identify. A smell that he knew he had detected before but couldn't place.
Inuyasha moved further down the hall and closer to the door that held the sweet aroma. As he reached the door he found it slightly ajar from it's frame, allowing small rays of sun light to escape. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, he gently pulled it open to look in.
A girl lay on a bed, inside. She was turned away from him; her wavy, raven hair hiding most of her face; and seemed to be shaking slightly. Her delicate hand rested on top of a small cat, that lay beside her.
He had never laid eyes on her before, which was strange, seeing as how Inuyasha knew almost everyone of great importance in the castle. This woman was definitely important considering the room she was staying in.
The Hanyou was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice when the heavy door to the room began to slip from his hands and squeakily slid open.
Inuyasha frantically grabbed the door, but found it was already too late.
~SQUEAK~
"Who's there?!!" Kagome cried, painfully jerking her body up from it's resting place.
"CRAP!!!" Inuyasha cursed the heavens as he slowly looked up. There was no turning back now.
Brown, accusing eyes flashed at him as he faced the girl. He now could see that tears were rolling down her bruised cheeks at a steady pace and instantly knew what the unknown smell from earlier had been. She was crying.
For a minute they just stared, studying one another in quiet confusion. She could clearly see the white, fluffy dog ears that popped out of the top of his head and he could clearly see scratches and bruises that covered her skin.
Silence began creeping into the room as the two teenagers eyed each other. Kagome spoke up.
"Who are you?" she whispered, wiping the tears from her eyes.
Inuyasha flushed slightly at the thought of being caught. He was embarrassed that he had barged in on the girl when she was crying and felt slightly bad. Any other person would have gone to Kagome and comforted her in her time of need, but this was Inuyasha, and he responded in the only way he knew how, rage.
"Feh! Why should I tell you that, wench?"
Kagome's temper flared, "Wench? I am NOT a wench!"
"Could've fooled me. You did jump on my back as soon as I entered the room."
"I didn't jump on your back! I don't even know who you are! You're the one who barged into my room!"
"Your room?!!!"
Kagome was incredulous, this was definitely the stupidest, most pointless argument she had ever been in, in her whole life; in fact, she didn't even know what she was arguing about. And it certainly didn't help that the person she was arguing with was as stubborn as a mule.
"Yes this is my room. If you don't believe me go ask Lady Inutaisho."
"Why would she give such an elaborate room to an ugly girl like you?"
"Ugly. . ." she breathed.
That was pushing it to far. As weak as she was and as tired as she was, the second that one word was uttered she found a new strength.
Kagome suddenly snatched a large, solid gold statue, from it's place on the table next to her, and through it with all her might at the Hanyou.
"Wait! What the hell are you doing?!!" Inuyasha questioned, horrified, as the bust sailed through the air at top speed.
"OH SHI . . ." Inuyasha didn't even have time to finish his sentence when the air-bourne statue slammed into him, square on the forehead.
"Learn how to talk to ladies," Kagome yelled after the retreating boy, "and then come see me again!"
The Princess laughed. Who knew that her first genuine smile in days would come from watching a disoriented Inuyasha stumble down the hall? The drama of the week slipped away as she allowed herself to smile again.
"You know what Kirara?" Kagome asked, stroking the cat-demon's soft fur. "Maybe, just maybe, things will be alright."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Down the hall from Kagome's room, Inuyasha absently tripped across the floor.
'Who the hell was that?' he thought.
'Great! Maybe, just maybe, my troubles aren't over yet.'
Inuyasha, woozily, looked up to see chibi, slap-marked Mirokus circling the top of his head. He watch them dance for a moment, then dropped to the floor.
"Wench. . ."
Needless to say, Inuyasha was knocked out the rest of the day and long into the night.
~End of chapter 3~
A/N: Yea! This chappy is finished! I have to be honest, that was definitely NOT my favorite chapter (kinda choppy if ya ask me). But hey, I still appreciate positive reviews. ^_^ I have chapter 4 written already, so I'll put it up as soon as I type it (it is totally different compared to this chappy)! Expect the next update to be sometime between Thursday and Saturday, depending on my schedule and my reviewers. Thank you all so much! Love you all!!! -Mel-Chan ^_~
*My Beloved Reviewers:
- Trace: Thanks for the review! Sesshoumaru is back in the next chappy and even more in later. ^_^
-MooMoo-san: Let me start off by saying that your screen name is the coolest ever!!! Thank you for the review and your support! And also thanks for wishing me a happy break! I had tons of fun. ^_^
-Soul of Kagome: OH MY GOD!!! ~Mel-chan wipes tears from her eyes~ It's people like you that make me want to get up off my lazy butt and write! Your reviews are so nice but I seriously don't deserve your praise! Thanks also for reviewing "I am Nihility". P.S.: I love your little examples.
-Kuro-Tanuki: Nan-chan!! Yea!! I always love your reviews 'cause they always make me laugh. Where would I be without your support and friendship? Well. . . probably sleeping, but that's beyond the point. Thank you sooo much, as always!
-???: My mystery reviewer! Thank you for reviewing! And congrats on being the first reviewer on the 2nd chappy!!! ~Mel-chan throws confetti everywhere and starts laughing uncontrollably~ ^_^;;;;
If you review this can happen to you!!!!!!!!!!! (hey that rhymed) Ja ne!