Luna: Two kids are behind me playing SSBM right now.
Veron: So instead of writing to say…Faeries. You're typing to the Mario Theme?
Luna: Evidently. With both Young and Adult Link screaming behind me.
Veron: OO I just heard a lot of zapping.
Luna: Alex got Zapdos.
Veron: Oh…
Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own the Inuyasha-Gumi. Rumiko Takahashi does. But this story is mine. ALL MINE! ((Huggles))
Chapter 7: Decisions
"KAGOME-CHAN!"
" Ka…go…me?" The princess whispered to herself as she opened her eyes, the familiar darkness overcoming her senses. " Why does that name sound familiar?"
Because it is important to your quest.
" My…quest? I have no quest." She answered, wobbling to her feet, long green ripples founding from where she stood.
Your quest, your pilgrimage to the past.
"My…past?" Her eyes fell upon the glowing ripples and tilted her head. Biting her bottom lip, she called out to the voice.
Yes. Not Kori's. Your past. Kagome's past. " Ka…go…me's? Is she-"A strange force propelled into her back and caused her to fall into the ripples. Her eyes widened as green flashes periodically blinded her vision, until she felt her eyelids close. And she surrendered to the comforting presence that was her long forgotten memories.
" Kikyo-Sama, you did know where Kagome-Sama was when you sought out your sister, did you not?"
The priestess nodded.
" YOU DID?" The taijya raged, her tired face suddenly vibrant with life, her magenta eyes glowing with flames of hatred. " All this time…and you didn't tell anyone of us?" She hissed, glaring heatedly at the dead woman sitting before her.
A hand was placed upon her shoulder and Sango managed to calm down. Inhaling deeply, she sighed, the worn features of her face magnifying her worry. Kirara mewed softly before pouncing on her mistress's lap, nuzzling her closed hands.
Miroku gave Sango a soft smile before returning his attention to the stoic miko in front of them. His face unusually serious as his twilight pools bored into her own.
" Why did you keep her from us?"
Kikyo merely stared at them before speaking. " She would have learned her past too soon. And would have gone insane."
"Insane? From what?"
Kikyo paused before gazing over at the door that separated the sleeping girl from the group.
" Grief."
Someone was crying against her, clutching the cloth of her garments as if it was their lifeline. Warm liquid stained her blouse, and the smell of blood and green tea came upon her nose. Sympathy and sadness clung to her heart, causing tears to shimmer making her surroundings more blurred then they already were.
The sobs grew louder and more intense, causing the princess to blink back her own tears and gaze down. A woman with raven hair, grime and blood crusted upon the shining locks. Light green and pastel pink shimmered over the woman's body, her clothing.
She felt words fall through her lips and for once, could make them out. Her arms surrounded the sobbing person and held her close. Kagome let her head fall by her ear, whispering calming reassurances.
" Don't worry Sango, we're here for you now."
Sango stiffened as she heard a soft voice whisper her name. Very slowly, she turned gazing at the rice paper door that held her friend inside. Her heart thudded in her chest, sweat beading her brow. Was Kagome remembering? Had she finally discovered who she truly was?
" She cannot leave this province now."
The taijya snapped around, staring coldly at the priestess. Her hands fisted the cloth of her skirt tightly in her hands, her knuckles being white. Magenta eyes clashed with cool gray as the monk began to speak, trying to clear the tension in the room.
" She has her duty to her subjects, am I correct?"
Kikyo nodded, sadness echoing in her eyes as she stood.
" They need her guidance now. Their lord is dead and in the tradition of royalty. Their heir, the next in line, is due to rule over them all. Without guidance, they run free. Free to only hurt themselves without someone to help them along." She paused; looking almost angered at the villager's dependency and ignorance. " As if they were cattle." The woman murmured, gazing in the direction of where the village lie before returning to her seat.
" How will she be able to rule? Do they truly want to let someone who doesn't even know their own name lead them?"
" She does know her own name." Kikyo replied bitterly, seemingly angered at someone that was not present.
" What do you mean?" Sango cried out, thoroughly frustrated by Kikyo's incessant riddles and pausing.
" She is no longer Kagome. She is no longer who she once was.
…
She is Lady Kori, leader of the Sakura province."
Alarm rung throughout her body as she stared in shock and horror at something in a massive crater. Anger seemed to pull at her as she stood up, disbelief in her eyes.
"MIROKU-SAMA!"Kagome's eyes snapped open, trying to scream but merely choking on her worry. Her hands clasped around her throat and she gasped, her azure orbs trying to focus on her surroundings. She was inside…a palace? How was this possible…Hope dawned upon her, perhaps it had been merely a nightmare! Kagome smiled weakly, Suki-San always did like to put an extra something in her rice balls. It must have caused her to hallucinate.
But someone had called her name. Her name…was Kagome! Her face lit up as she unsteadily rose to her feet, bracing herself against the wood paneling of the wall. Her mouth was dry as she tried to speak her own name. At first no sound fell from her lips but the sound evolved from quiet rasps to her whispering it. Tears of relief shimmered in her gaze, causing her surroundings to swirl. Opening the door, she noticed the familiar white and red figure sitting on the opposite side of the room.
"Kikyo-Sama! I remember! I remember…I'm…" She swallowed, a single tear managing to slide down her tanned face. Hastily wiping it away, she gave into to her joy and ran up to the priestess. She beamed up at the woman and promptly embraced her. " I remember Kikyo-Sama! I remember! I'm… I'm…" The princess looked up and smiled.
" I'm Kagome!"
Sango and Miroku stared at the overjoyed Kagome and her position with the deceased priestess. Miroku's eyes narrowed for a moment, watching Kikyo's guarded expression. The woman politely pried Kagome's limbs from about her waist and placed them at her sides. Kikyo nodded slightly, the barest hints of a smile upon her pale skin, inwardly happy that she had remembered and surprised that she had dropped the 'miko' from her name.
" You have remembered."
Kagome's enthusiasm seemed to have no bounds. She nodded and was close to jumping for joy. Slowly, her expression turned solemn and slightly bewildered, her index finger tapping softly upon her chin. Deep in thought, she stood, staring at where she was lying moments before.
" I also had dreams. I dreamt that a demon destroyed the palace. Also…I dreamt of someone named Sango…and Miroku as well. But…" She turned, not noticing that the very people she was speaking of were seated behind her, both overcome with a mix of surprise and relief. " I don't know who they are but I feel lost that I cannot find them. Or see them…" Her voice had taken on a desperate tone as she said these words, her face contorted in one of frustration.
A gentle cough altered her line of thought and she turned. Her stormy eyes grew wide as a pair of familiar twilight depths stared right back at her, unwavering and filled with unidentifiable emotions.
Her mind reeled, she felt the harsh winds cause her hand to whip against her face. The worry and anger she felt at the person causing the elements to act so harshly. The buzzing of hoards of insects growling in her ears. The scent of blood clinging to the air like a virus…
" Miroku…Sama?"
He smiled and nodded.
Sango stood, letting Kagome's eyes fall upon her. The princess stared, eyes narrowed in thought as a new course of emotions flooded her memory. The sympathy and regret of begin the inadvertent cause of her pain. The maternal instinct that overrode her anger at another person. Hot tears staining her blouse and stinging her skin. The comfort she desperately wanted to give as she held the sobbing woman in her arms, rubbing her back soothingly.
" Sango…?"
The woman's magenta orbs shimmered with newfound tears of happiness. Her voice cracked as she whispered her long lost friend's name. Abruptly, the taijya embraced Kagome, her happiness and relief falling down her face in unbidden tears.
Kagome was understandably surprised by the sudden act of affection. But it felt familiar and she mirrored Sango's emotions. More tears fell down her face as she clung to the demon exterminator, happy to have found a link to her past. Her memories were solidified now or at least, had living reason.
" I'm so happy we finally found you Kagome-Chan…" Sango whispered, her own tears finally drying. Pulling away, she placed her hand upon the princess's shoulders gently and beamed at her.
Kagome beamed right back.
" Me too. Me too…"
After the initial happiness had subsided, Kagome took her seat beside Kikyo and suddenly turned very serious. Placing her hands upon her lap, she gazed squarely at all the occupants in the room.
" My dream of the palace collapsing…was not a dream was it?"
Kikyo stiffened but nodded, deciding that it would do no good to her reincarnation if she kept the truth from her. One step outside of her bedroom's doors would alert her of her whereabouts even if she did choose to lie.
" I…had thought so." She swallowed, letting her sorrow overcome her would not fare well. Father would become angry if he ever found out that she had ignored her training.
" And what of Father?"
Please tell me that one figment of my dream was merely my imagination…please…
Instead of a vocal answer, her reply was sympathetic gazes that burned her flesh. She felt the sensation of sorrow behind her eyes and inhaled deeply. Another time, another place she would have cried, let her sadness and regret fall down her face in the company of others. But such an act of emotion would show weakness and no person of royal blood should allow themselves to reveal weakness. It was a dishonorable scar upon their bloodline and living relatives.
" I see." The young woman paused, swallowing her guilt and faced each and every person around her squarely in the eye. " Tell me, where am I?"
Sango and Miroku didn't answer, but an icy voice beside her answered her inquisition. She bit her lip as she processed her reply, her hands fisting the cloth of her white yukata.
" Sesshomaru-Sama's castle."
Sesshomaru was not pleased. No one would dare oppose him but the one ironic notion that continued to infuriate him was the fact that his half brother's wench was under his protection. Jakken prattled on behind him, causing him to wonder if he should have simply let Jakken die at Kaijinbo's hand that day.
A light feminine voice reached his ears and he let his eyes fall upon where the voice came from. Rin was nine years old now and awfully wise for someone so young. Today, her face was serious as she gracefully stole Jaken's staff right from under his nose and bashed him over the head with it.
Acting as if nothing odd had occurred, she shouldered the weapon and gazed up at her lord. Her hair had grown longer and she was dressed in a light blue kimono with yellow dragons embroidered upon it.
"Sesshomaru-Sama, why is there a bunch of people in my bedroom?"
He raised a brow at her and she gave him a guilty smile.
" I don't mind Sesshomaru-Sama but…" She trailed off, letting herself fall silent. Waiting to see if he would give her the honor of a verbal reply.
" She is a guest." Rin almost raised a brow at his tone, a habit she had adopted from being by his side for so many months. The young child knew better then to question him, Jaken's reoccurring bumps on the head were proof enough of how her lord vanquished his anger. Instead, she merely nodded and walked away, using the staff as bait to make Jaken leave Sesshomaru's side.
He looked as if he needed some time alone. She wasn't one to anger her lord when he had red swirling in his eyes…
Kagome had been dressed in three layers of silk in varying shades of pink. Red adorned the flesh of her mouth and her hair was piled upon her head, slender ivory sticks with mother of pearl designs holding the extravagant style together. A black obi cinched the garments about her waist and a single white rope settled in the middle of the large sash. She felt so…contained in all this finery. But the emotion that overcame her as she followed a servant into a large hall, was the fact that she was wearing her own clothes. All of Kori's clothes had been destroyed in the attack, but Sesshomaru's servants had spun a new wardrobe for her to wear.
Sesshomaru sat in the middle of a large half-circled seating area. Dressed in his familiar finery, various other demon lords dressed in silks sat around him.
Kagome stood brave and tall in the center of their gazes. One lord in particular gazed at her with lust in his red eye. She swallowed and willed her stoic mask to stay in place under their intense stare.
A whining voice entered her thoughts as a toad demon stood a few yards before her, a scroll larger then himself being held in his green wrinkled claws. His bulbous yellow eyes moved along the words, following his line of sight made her feel slightly nauseous. Breathing deeply, she allowed herself to calm and listened to his words.
" Address yourself, woman of the Sakura province. For you are before the court of the Western Lands!"
" I am Kori-Hime. Heir to the throne of Himawari-Sama. Royal leaders of the Sakura Province."
A few seemed surprised that she had used the deceased hime's name as her own. Rumors had filled the building that she was in fact merely adopted by the insane lord and forced to become his dead daughter for his own designs.
Kagome knew better, in legends if a mythical creature knew your true name, they had control over you. She would not have a demon possess her; she was her own person. But superstition had over rode her logic and she had spoken her predecessor's name.
" If you are indeed chosen to lead the Sakura Province, a valuable ally to Lord Sesshomaru, Son of the great Inutaisho of the Western Lands, who shall be your trusted advisor?"
" My advisor shall be, the priestess Kikyo of the Sakura Province."
A silence enveloped the room.
A tall demon lord stood. Dressed in black armor with gold accents. His long green hair streaked with bright blue, his dark red eyes fell upon Sesshomaru. A twisted smirk crossed his face before he spoke.
" If Kori-Hime is chosen milord, with all due respect, she would not be allowed to choose such a person for her advisor." He paused, sensing Kagome's distress beneath her perfected emotionless mask.
" For that woman, is dead."
Luna: DUN DUN DUN!
Veron: So what's Kagome gonna do?
Luna: Actually…I haven't written that chapter just yet. ((Sweatdrop))
Veron: Of course you haven't…