A/N: hey yall! Look for the next story of mine: "The Lovers" co-authored by AngelnoDarkness AND my story Shikon High! LOVE YA!

CHAPTER 2: Who Are You?

LAST TIME: "Kagome, you're now betrothed to Lord Ookami's son, Hojo."

"Will, this jewel let me NOT marry Hojo?"

I need to get away. Anywhere, just away from them; from HIM.

THIS TIME:

!2 and ½ months later!

I was back at the palace. Yes I had changed back from my commoner self to my princess one. My tail was back to it's purple-ness, and my hair was put up in (yet ANOTHER) annoying fashion.

This time, though, it was in many small braids, with a pearl on the end of every one. Then, it was put up into a high ponytail, like, ON TOP of my head and coming down like a waterfall. (A/N: imagine a genie ponytail. Yeah.) I wore a long dress, made to look as if it was torn and cut. A deep red this time though.

Hojo appeared out of one of the doorways ahead of me. "OH! Hello darling!" he called out, his face lighting up like a Christmas tree. "Don't call me that." I put as much ice into my voice as I could muster (and that's a lot of ice) to try and scare him off. Oh course, it didn't work. (it hasn't for the past 2 months sigh)

Much to my dismay, he followed me to the dining room where I was to meet my parents.

For the past two months that Lord Hojo has been staying with us, and my parents have been watching with utmost interest. (But I think they're just making sure I don't slug him when they're not around)

Opening the doors and swimming in, Hojo at my fin, I moved towards my father's right hand, as is custom for a princess. Hojo sat across from me, but not before "insisting" that he pull out my chair.

Really though, he's a perfect gentleman. The perfect husband. But I just can't seem to love him. And I won't marry a man I don't love.

Hojo's strong, smart, dependent, loyal, handsome, brave, AND caring. SO WHY CAN'T I JUST FALL IN LOVE WITH HIM?

I waited patiently for Father to give the signal for us to begin eating. Our meal was simply a seagrass salad as an appetizer, steamed coral as the main dish, and a seaweed mix for dessert. I only ate seaweed while everyone else ate heartily.

Once everyone had had their fill, Father cleared his throat to call attention. "My daughter," he began, which easily brought all noise in the room to cease and all eyes on him (the court has been having a field day after field day with everything going on with Hojo and I), "has had two long months to become acquainted with Lord Hojo of the Dark Clan. The end of the third month is drawing nearer and a decision has been made." Everyone was listening so closely, it was as though the entire ocean had stopped to hear the announcement. People pressed forward, eager to here what was going on with the princess and her betroved. "Lord Hojo and Princess Kagome Sophia Marie Cecilia Star…" 'Father…PLEASE! Just say it! You could cut the tension with a knife!' "…is to be married upon the night of the full moon in one month." Jaws dropped and cheers exploded from the crowd as the words sunk in. Well, for most that is.

I risked a glance at Hojo. He was smiling from ear to ear and looked as though Christmas had come early (A/N: HAHA! I LOVE that line!). The words began to form in my mind. 'I'm…engaged…to Hojo…?'

Somehow, I was able to make it throughout the night without snapping at anybody. But when I was told that all my stuff was moved to Lord Hojo's quarters, "since you're now engaged, her highness thought it a good idea that you share a bedroom." I simply lost it. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE? IS IT THAT HARD TO SEE THAT I'M NOT GOING TO MARRY HOJO NO MATTTER WHAT MY PARENTS SAY?" I shouted at the top of my lungs, scaring the maids half to death and startling half the palace.

Without caring anymore, I went to my secret wall.

Pulling off the dress and tearing at my hair till it was out of those annoying braids, I was oblivious to the pair of eyes watching me in amazement. Rubbing my scales with the ink to the point where they were becoming scratched and making sure I had my satchel, I was stopped abruptly with the one person I really, REALLY, didn't want to see right now. "Hojo…" my mouth hung open as his eyes roamed over my new look. "Kagome…" he started before looking back at me, a baffled expression on his face, "What…?" "Um, listen…Hojo…look, I really got to uh, go….so, er…bye!" Before he could say another word, I swam through the wall and away fast.

!1 Hour and Many Shopping Bags Later!

I swam through the crowded market place, bent on finally heading home now that I had cooled off by shopping. I stopped to take a shortcut through two very tall buildings, but I failed to notice that I wasn't alone.

A pair of hands sneaked out as I swam a little to close to the ground and grabbed my wrists pulling me over to the shadows.

"Heh heh heh…lookie here Dukat, I caught me a perddy lil mergal." A rough voice spoke as another hand slapped it's self over my mouth, stopping me from screaming.

A murky looking creature made it's way out of the shadows of the building. My first thought once I saw my captor was ' Oh…my…fuckin…god!' my second, however, was 'A grindylow! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!'

My eyes widened as another (the one holding my mouth shut) appeared shortly afterwards. "I do believe that you're right Kraps." The one called Dukat spoke in the same rough tongue his friend had used. "A perddy lil mergal indeed." Both of them laughed as they dragged me over to the shadows (I was to terrified to struggle even if I could process enough thought at that moment to think of getting away).

"Hey, Dukat," Kraps asked suddenly, causing both of them to look at the strange looking creature. "Can we eat her?" he started floating up and down almost as though he was jumping underwater.

My eyes (if possible) widened even more. 'EAT me? They're gonna EAT ME!'

Dukat smacked his partner upside the head. "Of course not you idiot! 'Member, we gat to take all the lil mergals to da boss." He sneered up at me, his fangs growing even larger as his lips moved up. The last thing I saw were his yellow teeth poking out of his mouth.

!SOMETIME LATER!

I awoke up to the feel of someone shaking my shoulder roughly. I was lying on a cold floor. Everything was dark except for a few glow shells around the room casting eerily shadows across the floor.

Only then did I notice that my tail had that awful feel of the octopus ink off of it. 'Wait…that would mean…' my tail had been wiped clean of the ink, revealing me true scale color. 'Ohhhh no! Not good! Not good! Not good!' she began to panic until a scratchy voice broke through the silence.

"Nice to see you awake…princess." My head snapped towards the voice and I could make out the outline of a merman. "Who are you and why did you bring me here?" I hissed, narrowing my eyes at him and glaring for all I was worth. "Oh, don't worry princess. The only thing I have in mind for you, is to simply…have a drink." He sneered at me as two men (who I didn't even realize were there) grabbed my arms and forced my mouth open.

The man pulled out a long thin bottle, filled with a glowing red liquid. I eyed him, still glaring, but my eyes told otherwise. I was scared. More scared than I had ever been. Even when I was told that I was to marry Hojo. 'What is that stuff?' I questioned mentally as he came nearer and nearer.

Finally, he crouched down and opened the vial. "Don't you worry. This'll only hurt for a second." He spoke, enjoying the fact that I had stopped glaring and was now opening starring at him in fear. He grabbed my chin and forced the liquid down my throat and held my chin upward so I was forced to swallow.

The thick red substance burned my tongue and I felt as though a knife was being shoved down my throat at a very, VERY slow pace. (A/N: that REALLY doesn't sound right. Not in a perverted way, I mean, just…have someone actually swallow a knife? shudders I couldn't deal with it) I few moments later, I passed out.

grindylow: an English mythological creature. It supposedly has the face of a hag (a old woman type creature), with long green hair, green skin, a gaping mouth, and pointy yellow fangs (that are, like, 2 inches long!)

glow shells: ok, they don't REALLY exist, but it would be cool. Take a guess at what they are. No really, guess. If you guess "a shell that glows" you would be CORRECT! Yeah, ok stupid. Imagine a conch shell, now paint it purple, blue, green, red, black, yellow, gold, silver, orange, pink, or any other color you could possibly think of that's not white, gray, brown, or that weird pearly color…ok, got it? Good. Now make it shine. Just faintly. All right, there you go: a glow shell.

OK, guys, I'm sorry about theshort chappie. To make up for it, I'll update really soon and make it really long! Promise!LOVE YOU ALL!

EARTH