A/N: Wow, I am really overwhelmed by the support of this story. I love the story line and setting because I researched it and got my facts all in a line. It's funny how the French Revolution was a documented historical event, but some sources have different accounts and proofs?! Weird. Ok so I love this chapter because I love the first scene in the garden, it just seems so serene! Ok, so if you have any suggestions for the plot or ideas id be more than happy to listen to them and try to work it in!!! Ok to answer a question directed; In the first chappy it was raining lightly, and then as the story progressed it started to rain heavily. Just to clear that up a little. It ties in he the harshness of the reality as it sets in on the mother as she goes on. I also apologize for past and future spelling errors. I swear my editor will die!! LOL! God Bless and Thanks!
Disclaimer:
Me: No Inuyasha's beautiful, flawless, amazingly shiny hair does not belong to me! SOB
Inuyasha: That's right leprechaun freak!
Me: sob SHUT UP! Just for that you're gonna get it in this chappy!!! I mean it buster!
Inuyasha: Oh crap!
Me: smiles triumphantly Oh the powers of the author are sweet!
It was a cool crisp night when she stepped out into the withering garden. The defining silence hung around every corner and seemed to hug her closer to keep her safe within her thoughts.
She clung to her graying cloak as she made her way sluggishly to her favorite stone bench that overlooked the random passerbys that ventured on the street adjacent from the old Cathedral. She hoped, however that there wouldn't be any wanderers this late in the night. The reason being that only prostitutes and drunkards were up at this hour. She laughed softly to herself knowing surely she wasn't any of those. She was just an insomniac-like nun.
As she plopped softly on the craved bench, her pale hands ventured slowly on the old carvings in the seat of the stone. The designs were slowly eroded by the outdoor weather and years of souls that had used it in prayed and comfort. But however worn or faded these graphics were, the pictures and carvings were still beautiful to her. This garden was only open to the nuns that resided there and only attended to by them as well, so it held a special place in all their hearts. Kagome especially. For it was her that had planted the majority of the flowers and shrubbery that laid against the crumpling walls and rusting fence so that it would seem closer to God and his creations would send a sense of healing to the once neglected garden.
The young girl in her late teen years sat slowly down and leaned lightly on the tree behind the old stone bench. She opened her crystalline cobalt eyes to scan the reminder of the fairly small garden and relaxed knowing she was alone. She loved to come out here alone and collect her thoughts or pray in privacy. Some nuns made it a habit of showy prayers and performance like worship. Not her, she loved to keep her prayers and worship between her and her God, and the garden was her favorite place to sing, pray, or just collect herself. Many of her friends in the convent would cling to her for guidance and advice, and whenever she was too overwhelmed she would also seek the garden as a haven of rest and soul searching.
She stood up slowly and stretched her legs while admiring the brightly colored leaves on the broken stone path at her feet. She was petite with womanly figure, hidden mostly under the dark robe that implied the modesty all nuns valued in their vows to the service. She had a radiant heart-shaped face in which innocence seemed to envelope. Her cheeks, however seemed naturally rosy as to indicate she didn't need the fake make-up that woman around that time sported to show her true beauty. Not that a simple nun would go around worrying about make up and hair styles in their tedious jobs in the church. Her ebony haired, which was covered slightly by her respectable veil she always wore, hung midway down her back.
She was a lovely girl that many of the nuns admired for her pure heart and optimistic attitude. She never yelled, got frustrated or seemed angry at all in the short course of her life. She knew this to be false of course, as she knew she got cross plenty of times, but was responsible and sensible enough to keep it inside. This in turn caused her to be one of the chief nuns in the convent despite her obvious young age. Many roles of leadership were only given through age and experience alone, however with Kagome's unprecedented personality of kindness and purity, positions of responsibility were practically thrown at her.
Her dark robe swayed softly in the teasing breeze as she went to the railing of the fence and looked across the yard and into the night.
It was the third time in a week she was awoken from strange nightmares that had all ended with the same evil laugh and cruel hate filled eyes. She shivered involuntarily and squatted slowly to examine a rose bush she previously planted that spring. She sighed at its withering state due to the past cold months.
However her gaze grew unfocused as she continued to pick the dead flowers off and prune it instinctively. She was lost in her previous nightmares that she felt, strangely enough, familiar. She did understand how since she had lived her entire life with her Grandmother at the convent.
She didn't know her mother or father, or if she even had any living relatives besides her loving Grandmother. Each time she would ask when she was smaller, pain and deep sadness would seem to pass across her Grandmother's chiseled face and all she would say was that God was all the family she really needed.
Of course she knew that she had to have and mother and a father, but she let the question remain locked away as she continued her ministry within the church, knowing her place in it. She would get her answers sooner or later, and God would show her somehow when she would need it the most. She just needed in turn to the virtuous patience that she was taught at a young age, even more than usual now.
She felt that the nightmares were in some ways connected to her past, but she did not want to burden Mother Kaede with anymore saddening questions. She knew her Grandmother had enough duties and responsibilities to tend with.
As she slowly rose to walk to the small porcelain-pot fountain in the center she saw a small movement in the corner of her eyes. She stooped low in a very un-nunly like position that she learned in self-defense class, and prepared to defend herself with the techniques all the nun had acquired. It seemed strange, but the nuns were taught the basics of self-defenses and trained their bodies well for health and emotional reasons. However as she shifted silently a sniffling little boy appeared out of the shadow of a dense tree trunk. She immediately dropped her guard and ran over to the boy and scooped in up.
"Oh Shippo, dear! What are you doing out of bed at such a late hour? And where in heaven and earth is your cloak! You will freeze your cute little fur off!" And with that she scooped the groggy green eyed kit up and whisked him away to her chambers. Once inside she started a warm a fire quickly and quietly, so not to wake her anyone else in the hall up and piled blankets on the overwhelmed fox kit.
"Mommy Kagome! I'm ok, I was just worried about you when I smelled your tears in the garden! I wanted to see if you were alright!" The small demon softly sniffled. "I just didn't want you to cry, again!"
Kagome looked down at the small child with love and tenderness. She thought much of herself as a surrogate mother to this orphan. He looked up to her and clung to her as much as physically possible after she had showed him kindness and love when his parents died and he was orphaned.
She hadn't even realized she had been crying in the garden, but obvious wet tear tracks on her cheeks told her otherwise and she gazed fondly at the small kit and ruffled his soft red hair.
"Now don't you worry about me Shippo! You just go right back to sleep! And ill make you some of that special oatmeal you like from the kitchens bright and early, instead of that un-editable slop the serve you like gruel!!!" She made a disgusted goofy face and Shippo visibly relaxed and instantly seemed to fall asleep while she stroked is orange mane. She fussed tucking him under and giving him a tiny peck on the cheek so as to not wake him and tip-toed out of the room. She knew that Shippo's sense of hearing was sharp, but she also knew that when he slept not much of anything could wake him up but her.
She just couldn't go back to sleep herself, so she decided to go to the public sanctuary and relieve the nun attending to it on night shift. Unlike many cathedrals in that part of the country, thiers stayed open all night and day for prayer and worship. As she walked briskly into the front of the large domed-shaped room she made her way across the front pews and tapped the dozing old nun on the shoulder lightly.
"Excuse me sister Margaret...umm..you may go to you chambers and rest for the night. I will resume your position and take responsibility now." She said in a soft careful voice so she wouldn't scare her.
"Oh yea, thank you dear. I think I will go and....and go to where ever my room is...and in my bed... and sleep."
"That's right, you go do that. Be careful on your way through the hallway, and down the west wing stairs!" Kagome called quietly after the semi-conscious nun as she scuttled roughly and was out of sight.
Once the older nun was gone Kagome gazed around the dim sanctuary, and didn't see a soul. The candles flickered dangerously as a sharp breeze came through a crack in the elaborate stained glass windows on either side of the walls.
She shivered and then kneeled silently while bowing her head in reverence and respect to pray. As she felt the moon cast an eerie glow across her face and the pews around her she felt oddly at peace, like the calm before the storm in a way. She was so in tuned within herself that she didn't even hear the faint footsteps of a person walk behind her and sit down in a pew, until she was snapped out of her saintly trance by someone's uneven breathing.
She turned sharply and squinted a look so she could be ready to help or defend. However as she gazed from her kneeling position she saw no one. So she rose up and walked along the pews until a sharp raspy gasps drew her wondering gaze.
Her eyes widened a fraction as she saw a man...no a demon with white hair that spilled around his shoulders and head like an angel. She ran up to his prone body on the bench-like pew in which he was laying in.
Her eyes widened even more in horror as she tried to touch the man, and found he was unconscious. She scooted herself between the limited space of the pew and the man and lifted him to help him rest on his back instead of his stomach. However as she lifted him softly and gently she saw the source of his uneven breathing and labored pains as he softly moaned something very faint yet comprehensible.
"They can not touch me or you in this holy place mother. He won't get you." Was a soft whisper as the stranger opened his eyes and gazed unfocusedly at the bewildered nun above him.
Never in her life was Kagome ever as speechless as that moment when clear blue met honey gold. With that single sentence he fell into an lifeless state and collapsed in her strong and waiting arms.
R&R!!!!
Luvingreen