Author's Note: I hope you enjoy
Chapter Five: Betrayal and Truths
"No! We are not going there!" Kagome growled angrily at Inuyasha. "You are not taking me there!"
"We are going there for your sake," Inuyasha told her silently as they made their way through the crowds of people.
"I am not going!" Kagome argued. "I want to stay in your place."
"You are not staying there no longer," Inuyasha said. "I can not be there to protect you."
"Where are you going then?" Kagome was suddenly in front of Inuyasha.
Inuyasha had to grinned. "You are learning pretty fast."
"It does not matter, tell me why you will no longer be there!"
"That I cannot do," Inuyasha told her truthfully. "It is none of your concern."
"It is my concern!"
The villagers turn to look at them as they passed.
"Quiet, you are making a spectacle of yourself." Inuyasha told her.
"I do not care, if you are not going to tell—"
"Mr. Inuyasha, I presume?" Someone interrupted them.
"Yes," Inuyasha nodded.
"This is the house you mentioned?"
Kagome glared at Inuyasha. "House? You call this a house? It looks more like a mansion!"
"It is a mansion," Inuyasha told her. "How much?"
"Two hundred xiens, mi'lord."
"Very well," Inuyasha produced two bags full of xiens.
"Thank you," he took the money, handed Inuyasha a piece of paper and went on his way.
"I am not living alone in there!"
"Stop acting like a baby! You will not have to live alone in that house." He told her. "I have already hired five house maids and a butler. As well as that—"
"What do you expect me to do with them? They cannot protect me!" Kagome huffed angrily as she followed Inuyasha into the house.
Inuyasha didn't bother to tell her that the five house maids he had hired were vampires as well as the three bodyguards he secretly hired to keep her safe. He knew she could take care of herself, but you can't be too sure.
"Just stay in the house at all times and do not leave it."
"So what am I now? A prisoner?"
"No you are not a prisoner. I just want you to stay while I go out for a while."
"And how long will a while be?"
"I do not know yet," Inuyasha took the key and opened the mansion door.
"I do not like big places like this," Kagome admitted.
Inuyasha found the living room while Kagome went up to find herself a bedroom.
"I have not slept in a real comfy bed for a long, long time." Kagome sigh as she jumped onto the bed. "Very good, soft and silky."
"Remember, you stay in here," Inuyasha's voice came out of nowhere.
Kagome jumped up to sit on the bed and glare at him. "Where are you going?"
"Nowhere that concerns you." Inuyasha told her.
"When will you be leaving for your little…trip?"
"I will not be leaving for quite a while." Inuyasha admitted.
"What about that girl you are visiting? Will you still keep in touch with her?
Inuyasha's eyes flared. "How do you know about her?"
"I am not exactly dumb." Kagome's chin rose slightly.
"Just do not speak of her again." Inuyasha turned from the doorway.
"I am going out tonight." Kagome called after him.
Inuyasha kept going; he refused to answer.
"If you are not back by evening, I will go without you." Kagome muttered, knowing Inuyasha would hear her.
Inuyasha did, his footsteps stopped for a moment, and then it started again.
"Bastard," Kagome muttered angrily at Inuyasha. God, how she hated him and love him at the same time. She would give anything to be a normal girl. She winced literally, knowing that it wasn't true. He was not a bastard, god, why did she have to fall in love with a cold guy like him!
Kagome waited, she waited and waited. She even waited ten minutes late, but Inuyasha never showed up. Eventually, she couldn't wait any longer and she had to leave, had to get out of this house, so she left…just to be stopped by a maid.
"But m'lady, the lord of the house has given us direct order to not leave you behind."
"God! Stop calling me m'lady! I have a name you know!" Kagome glared.
"We were hired and you are the—"
"You do not look like a maid," Kagome suddenly said as she narrowed her eyes at the maid. "Are you sure you were hired by Inuyasha?"
"Yes!" The maid nodded too quickly. "The lord of the house has offered me this position."
"For how much?"
"I get twenty xiens an hour."
"That is a little too much is it not?" Kagome said thoughtfully.
"No, it is the average money that every household maids earn."
Kagome nodded thoughtfully and then moved forward.
"No!" The maid was in front of her. "M'lady, think of the Lord's wrath when he comes back and finds you are gone!" The maid stretched out her arms.
"Lord? You call him a Lord!" Kagome glared at the maid.
The maid had the decency to blush. "But that is what we call the leader of the house… the Lord of the—"
"Excuse me." Kagome stepped to the side and attempted to go, but the maid blocked her path again.
"You cannot go!" The maid begged. "We will get in trouble. You do not want innocent bystanders to suffer now would you?"
"Do not worry," Kagome told the worried maid. "I will let Inuyasha know that so you will not get in trouble."
"No matter, you are to stay in here."
Kagome took a step forward. "You cannot stop me."
Kagome took a step forward once more, but the maid stuck out her foot, but Kagome jumped over it. But the maid grabbed her arm and attempted to throw Kagome back. Kagome landed on her feet, arms in front of her with a shock look on her face. "Are you sure you are just an ordinary maid?"
The maid stood up stiff. "I am just a maid, but I have study some fighting skills."
"How long have you studied?"
"Not that long," The maid lied. "Not that long."
Kagome stood up. "Very well, if you want to tell Inuyasha that you have attempted to stop me, go ahead." Kagome smiled.
"I do not wish to hurt you m'lady!" The maid look appalled.
"What is the matter? You cannot hurt me if I fight back."
"I do not want to fight with you." The maid looked afraid.
"Very well," Kagome grinned even wider. "Then I get to go free."
Kagome moved forward and the maid tried to grab her arm, but Kagome managed to avoid it. However, the maid tried to hit her on the head but she moved off to the side, avoiding the hand. Kagome instead moved back and hit the maid's stomach with her elbow. The maid didn't even bulge.
Kagome's eyes widened. She had packed enough punch into it so that the maid would faint…if she was an ordinary human being. "You are not a human maid at all are you!"
"No I am not," the maid admitted. "And if you attempt to leave here, I will be forced to take action."
"Then take action!" Kagome challenged. "What are you?"
"One of Inuyasha's man."
"I would not say man…" Kagome frowned. "One of Inuyasha's women. How many women has he had?"
"I cannot answer that," The maid told her. "I am only one of his loyal servants."
"Ugh!" Kagome gave a disgusted grunt. "Never you mind. Good-bye."
Before the maid could react, Kagome was already out the door.
The maid attempted to go after her, but a voice stopped her.
"Let her go. I will go after her."
"Yes, master." The maid nodded and went back to her work.
'Now this is the life.' Kagome thought cheerfully as she went on her way. She had dressed herself up as a commoner so that she wouldn't stand out in the crowd, and so far, she had noticed a couple of the men already looking her way. She had refused to flirt though when they had tried to flirt with her, after all, her heart was already taken. Even so, she enjoyed the attention because she has never had an admirer before.
"An amulet for two xiens, an amulet for two xiens!"
"A rice ball for only a xien!"
"Beautifully made sword, only thirty xiens!"
Kagome shook her head as the market attempted to get her to buy something. She had not brought any money with her so she could not buy anything; nevertheless, she looked. It was amazing, the many items that were found on the market these days. Even though she had only been to the market twice in her whole entire lifetime, there were still new jewelries; new items to discover if one look close enough.
She was looking through some of the amulets when someone grabbed her hand, giving her a start. She looked up to see a woman's face with her head hidden behind a hood. She was very beautiful with dark purple eyes and thick long lashes. Her mouth was small and full, her skin as white as the moon. Her sharp narrowed eyes look like it never missed anything.
"How would you like your fortune told, Miss?" Her voice was scratchy and hard to hear over the noise, but very understandable.
"Ummm…no thank you, madam," Kagome shook her head. "I do not have any money on me."
"Do not worry, I always charge free for the first time." She looked at her, assessing her as if she were an animal and the fortune lady, her owner.
"What do you tell?"
"For the first time, your past," the lady still continued to hold her hand.
"Okay," Kagome agreed just so the lady could remove her hand away, and she did.
"Very well, follow me into my tent."
"Do we have to go into this tent?" Kagome asked nervously. She did not want her fortune being told.
"Silence, do not disturb the peace that is in this room for I require dark and peacefulness."
Kagome shut her mouth, but she shivered. Telling herself it was just her imagination; she shook her head, stood up taller and followed the lady deeper into the tent. When they finally came to a very small room with nothing but a table and light from the top, the fortune lady told her to sit down. Kagome sat on one end of the table as the old lady seated herself at the other end of the table.
"Your name is Kagome. Kagome, do you remember your last name? Do you know your last name?"
Kagome shook her head. Funny, she never even bothered to question Inuyasha about her last name before, why was that?
"Do you remember your past?"
"Not much."
"Tell me about it," the lady commanded.
"I thought you were doing the telling, not the other way around." Kagome muttered.
"Yes, but you do not remember much of your past do you?"
This time, Kagome had no smart reply.
"That is right. You do not remember Sesshomaru, the vampire, do you?"
This was really getting to her now.
"How do you know about vampires?"
"I know, they are all around," the lady whispered. "They hear, they cry, they come to me for help when needed."
"Then you should know that I am one of them."
The old lady chuckled. "You are not one of them…yet."
This set Kagome's heart a thumping. Could it be? "What do you mean by yet?"
"The vampil Inuyasha has live alone for hundreds of thousands of years."
"How long?"
"That, I cannot say, for he has live longer than me," the lady answered.
"Will he have a partner?" Kagome asked.
"That I cannot answer," The lady told Kagome sadly. "There are some things I can reveal, and there are other things I cannot reveal."
"What can you reveal then?"
The old lady suddenly gave a gasp, and moved back, as if afraid of her. "You have two destiny!" She accused.
"I did not know!" Kagome pretended a gasp, as if as shocked as the lady.
"Do not mock me!" The lady told her in a chilling voice. "That is your fate, to either die for your love or to live the life of a useless thing."
"So no matter which way I would die anyway?" Kagome grinned. "I would rather die for love than for naught."
"Silence! You do not understand. The battle will soon take place, but no one will be declare the victor."
"What battle?" Kagome asked, curious now.
"They will both fight for the same reason."
"And what is that reason?"
"You."
"Thank you for this little… past future fortune telling, but I really must get going." Kagome stood up, but the lady grabbed her hand again in a deathly grip. "You must beware of your kind."
"My kind?"
"For it is by their hands that you shall die if you do not beware."
Kagome nodded. "I really must go now."
"You think I am lying."
"No. I think you are crazy." Kagome admitted. "But I have seen crazy things. Do not worry, I will heed your warnings well."
"Call me if you need my help. I will be willing to help you."
"Why?"
"He saved me once," the fortuneteller admitted to her. "I owe him that much."
Kagome nodded, following her back outside.
"An amulet," the old lady gave Kagome a small teardrop necklace. It was green, and it shone brightly when the light came upon it. "For good luck and protection. Do not ever take it off."
Kagome put it around her neck just to satisfy the lady, then turned and stroll off.
"What did you tell her, Niece?" A voice came out of nowhere.
"She is the chosen one."
"I do not need a bride."
"She is fit to become your queen."
"She is a mere mortal, a child."
"But she understands you and your kind. She understands and accepts."
"No matter, I will not condemn her to darkness." The voice faded.
"Blessed thee…" The fortuneteller whispered.
"I do not believe in him no more," the voice whispered back. "But blessed thee. Live well until the next time, my niece, Chiemi."
"Well…look hea boys, wat do we hav 'ere?"
Kagome stopped as two guys blocked her while one surrounded her on her right and another one on her left.
"Looks like a lonely traveler boss," Kagome's back bump into someone as someone in front of her spoke.
"Ah, and a girl too, eh?" The team of five boys chuckled.
Someone grabbed Kagome's hand and held it behind her back.
"Let me go," Kagome said.
"Not until we have our fun with you," One of the older boy, taller than the rest chuckled at her. He came to stand in front of her.
"Not yet, leave her for me."
"I want her first, boss." The boy in front of her grinned.
"You guys do not know what you guys are doing," Kagome told him as he ran a finger down her cheek.
"Soft and smooth…that is how I like my girls," he grinned even wider.
"How do you want me to kill you?" Kagome turned her head so he wasn't touching her no longer. "Shall I summon a vampire to suck your blood or shall I just kill you with my bare hands."
The group of boys laughed at her. "Vampires! Hah! What do you know about vampires girl?"
"More than you do." She smiled wickedly at them. "Behind you."
Everyone turned around quickly to see a figure there, in the dark.
"Do you always attract trouble wherever you go?"
"No," Kagome shrugged her shoulders since her fingers were still held behind her. "They find me."
Inuyasha stepped into the light and the boys laughed again. "You call this a vampire? You can not even beat me!"
Inuyasha gave them a smile. "What do you think?"
Kagome yawned. "Why do you not just get it over with? Teach them a lesson."
"Kagome," Inuyasha warned. "You were supposed to stay inside."
"Well you took too long."
"Get your hands off her." Inuyasha told them.
"You get through us first." Two boys came and surrounded him.
"You people do not know what you are doing, do you?" Inuyasha told them. "Very well."
Before Kagome could blink, Inuyasha had pinned the boys to the wall, baring his fangs and his red eyes. "What shall I do with you?" He smiled evilly.
"Holy man! What the hell is this guy?" The other two backed up, but the one holding Kagome's hands stood still.
"No one you should be afraid of," Kagome pushed back and elbow him in the stomach, "but me, I am your worst nightmare." She smiled evilly and before the guy could react, Kagome had her sword, the sharp blade, against his neck. "So, how should I kill you?"
"You cannot kill me!" The guy told her. "You do not have the guts."
"My body… it will not move!"
"What is going on here, I cannot control mine any more!"
Kagome turned her eyes to the two boys who were attempting to run, but couldn't. "Inuyasha, what are you doing?"
"I cannot let them go." Inuyasha told her. "They know about us."
"But we cannot just kill them!" Kagome hissed at him.
"We will take their bodies and buried them ourselves after I finished feeding."
"They are only just boys." Kagome told him.
"No matter." Inuyasha turned back to the other two boys he was holding. "I am in a killing mood tonight."
Kagome moved out of the way before the long blade could slice her and it slice only a little piece of her hair. "You are lucky I saw that." Kagome told him.
"You are lucky I was not fast enough," the guy snarled at her and then jumped her. Kagome jumped out of the way. "We are willing to let you guys go, and here you are, killing us?"
"No, I am leaving you for last. But first, I am going to kill your boyfriend."
Kagome landed on top of one of the boxes, sitting down. "I would not do that if I were you."
"Do what?"
"Attack from behind like that." Kagome told him. "Inuyasha does not like it."
"I do not care." The man charged at Inuyasha.
Before Kagome could blink, the man went flying past Kagome.
"Do not just sit there," Inuyasha's voice came to her. "Help me out here."
"You can handle yourself." Kagome grinned at him.
"I taught you better than that."
Kagome jumped to the ground. "Just let them go."
"I killed the other one."
"That is his fault. I warned him how much you hate back attacks, but we should try to at least prevent most of the killings."
"You killed him with just one blast?"
"No way!"
"Your boss is next." Inuyasha said in a chilling voice.
"I am leaving," Kagome told Inuyasha.
"Do not go far." Inuyasha told her.
Kagome bowed so low that her hair almost touched the floor. She knew Inuyasha saw her even if he pretended he didn't, and then she jumped up onto the rooftops of the small houses and disappeared.
"W-w—what are you going to do?" One of the guys Inuyasha was holding choked.
"I was going to drain you guys dry," Inuyasha tightened his grip on them, "but you should be thankful that my girlfriend there convinced me you two should live." Inuyasha let go of them and they fell to the ground, coughing and choking. "Remember your lesson, and do not ever let me see your face again."
Inuyasha disappeared before they could blink.
"Do you want to buy a ring, my lady?"
"No," Kagome shook her head. "No thank you."
"How about a bracelet?"
"No," Kagome shook her head. "No thank you."
"A necklace?"
Kagome shook her head, but before she could say no, it caught her eye. "What is it?"
"It is from the Imperial Court, the princess there once own it, but it was lost over the years, and finally show up here. I managed to find it before it could be shipped off to foreign land."
"A necklace of the Imperial Court?" Kagome frowned. "May I take a look at it?"
"Yes, yes, of course. It is real, pure gold."
Yes, Kagome could see. She could tell whether or not it was real gold or not. She took raised it up to the moonlight. "Yes, how much is it?" Kagome turned the necklace back and read the name. "Princess Aninoko."
"Yes, her story was very tragic."
"Very?" Kagome had never heard of this Princess Aninoko before. "How long ago was it?"
"Very long ago, a hundred years ago, to be exact." The lady told her. "Princess Aninoko was a very beautiful princess of the Imperial Court. However, she fell in love with one of the peasants who had lied to her and told her that he was a prince from a foreign land. He was, in fact, a thief who was out to steal money and gold and Princess Aninoko had gotten her heart stolen along with him. He had given her this necklace, with her name engraved on the back of it and they were planning on running away together for it was forbidden for the Princess to mingle with the commoners; however that night, her parents and her fiancé had found out about this plan, and instead the fiancé went to meet the man instead of the princess. He brought back this necklace that you hold there."
Kagome frowned. Was she hearing voices, or were they really there?
"She promised, why did she lie?"
Kagome turned around to look behind her, but everything had faded, the people, the small markets. She was now in a forest, but she could see everything, hear everything.
"A princess of the Imperial Court cannot fall in love with a mere commoner," someone spat. "Have you forgotten that rule?"
"She told me she loved me."
Kagome saw two guys in front of her. One was wearing a hood and the other was dress as a commoner, brown shirts and brown pants. The one wearing the hood was holding a sword and the commoner was holding a dagger.
"She was only playing with you. She only toyed with your heart."
"No!" The man holding the dagger rushed at him, but the hooded man dodged the blow. "You lie! Aninoko would never betray me."
"She has. She came running to me after you two made the plans and said you are too poor she cannot marry you."
"You are lying, liar!"
'He is lying!' Kagome opened her mouth. 'She is in her castle, tied! He is just trying to cloud your mind!' But they couldn't see her; they couldn't hear her.
"Bastard!" The dagger came flying out of nowhere, but it missed the hooded man.
'No' Kagome shook her head and she ran towards them. 'No! You cannot die! Aninoko is waiting for you, you have to live and save her. You have to go rescue her!'
She stood in the middle of them, but they passed her, like she was a ghost, they went right through her.
"Die, you commoner, for you will never be worth enough to have her in your bed."
'Nooo!' Kagome went in front of the guy with the dagger, spreading her arms wide, but the hooded guy kept coming. He thrust forward and Kagome blinked. She look down and saw the sword through her body, saw herself get stabbed, but she felt no pain, and when she saw the blood, she fainted.
"Miss? Miss?"
Kagome shook her head. "I am fine. What happened?"
"I do not know. You suddenly fell to the ground, are you all right?"
Kagome nodded her head. "Yes, I am fine." Kagome looked at the necklace on the ground. "What just happened?"
"Do you want to sit down?"
"No," Kagome shook her head. "He thought Princess Aninoko betrayed her." She stated.
"Yes," the lady nodded and frowned at her. "I thought you said you have not heard of that story before?"
"No…no, I have not." Kagome shook her head.
"Then how did you know that?"
"I saw it…" Kagome told her. "I must be crazy…"
"Ah," The lady chuckled. "You are not crazy. You must be one of those talented people."
"What do you mean?"
"People who see things when they touch other stuffs." The woman told her. "They are known as Visioners."
"But it has never happen before."
"It usually happens if something traumatic happens." The lady stood up. "Grab the necklace, see what happens."
Kagome took a deep breath and took the necklace.
The next thing she knew, she was in the palace. She heard someone sobbing and a couple of people talking.
"He was not there, Princess." It was the hooded man again.
"Prince Katsuro is telling the truth."
"Father, you are lying. He would never betray me. He told me he loved me. He changed his ways."
"Aninoko! You are to be wed, you must not think of him again."
"No!" Aninoko sobbed. "You killed him, you killed him."
Before Kagome could blink, she was suddenly in a dark room. In front of her was a very big window, painted in all sorts of different colors.
"They killed you."
Kagome turned around, and saw the princess. Her hair was down and her eyes were red from crying. "I will not believe that you would betray me."
Right before Kagome's eyes, Princess Aninoko ran forward and ran right past her, and right into the glass. There was a loud shattering and then a loud thump five seconds later. Kagome's eyes widened. 'No, do not look' She told herself, but her feet crept forward slowly.
Kagome!
Kagome blinked.
Kagome, get back here!
Inuyasha?
Where are you? Get back here with me right now!
I have to go look.
Look at what?
The dead girl, the princess, she jumped off the window.
Just get the hell back here!
That snapped Kagome out of it and she leaned against the pole. Someone was shaking her.
"I am okay now," Kagome held the shoulders of whoever was shaking her.
"What happened here?" Inuyasha turned to the lady.
"Nothing," Kagome answered. "Nothing happened."
"You are constantly getting yourself in trouble." Inuyasha growled at her.
"You cursed." Kagome was finally getting over the visions. "You cursed."
"Is there something wrong with that?" Inuyasha glared at her.
Kagome grinned. "This is the first time I have heard you cursed."
"Well…" Inuyasha grinned back at her. "I try to curse every once a century or so."
Kagome smiled. "I will take the necklace."
"It is five hundred xiens."
"Five hundred?" Kagome frowned. "Two hundred."
"I need to make a living." The lady chuckled at her.
"You are making money." Kagome grinned at her.
"Three hundred." The lady countered.
"Two-fifty." Kagome reply.
"Deal!" The lady smiled.
Kagome handed the money to the lady and smiled. "Thank you."
"Come back any time. I am always ready for a good bargain."
"That is a waste of money," Inuyasha told her.
"No it is not. This necklace is a legend."
"What happened back there?"
"I saw them."
"Who?"
"Princess Aninoko and her lover."
"Princess Aninoko?" Inuyasha stopped. "What do you mean you saw them?"
"They died." Kagome frowned. "They did nothing wrong but fall in love. That is not fair, do you not think so?"
"What? That they die for love or that people could not see their love?"
"You know about the story?" Kagome turned to face him. "And you did not bother to tell me?"
"You saw them die?"
Kagome nodded. "Princess Aninoko jumped off the window of…"
"Her castle. In one of the towers." Inuyasha finished for her.
"So that is where I was."
"Yes, everyone knows she jumped off there after she went crazy."
"She went crazy?" Kagome frowned. "That part, I did not see."
"She lost the necklace and went crazy, which might explains why she jumped off the window."
"Oh…" Kagome nodded. "Her lover—"
"His name was Prince Mamoru." Inuyasha interrupted.
"So he really was a prince?"
"Yes, he was a foreign Prince disguised as a commoner."
"Prince Mamoru died." Kagome said sadly.
Inuyasha looked at her with an amused smile on his face. "You think?"
"Yes. I saw him die. The sword went right through me, right here." Kagome pointed to her stomach where the sword passed through in her vision. "For a moment, I thought I got stabbed along with him," she grinned.
"How do you think they are living now?" Inuyasha asked.
"Oh, they are probably living well in whatever place they are living in now." Kagome said. "It is sad though, that people cannot comprehend love between two people and seek to destroy them instead."
Inuyasha smiled down at her. "Come, I have something to show you."
Kagome glanced at him. "What?"
"It is a surprise." Inuyasha took her hand. "Are you ready?"
"How far do we have to go?" Kagome asked.
"Not far if you are traveling with me." Inuyasha told her, and then for a moment, he was deep in thoughts, but a second later, he shook his head. "Come, take my hand."
"We are not going by air, are we?" Kagome frowned. "Inuyasha, you know how much I hate flying."
"You will have to if you want to see them."
"Who is them?"
"You will see."
Minutes later, Kagome and Inuyasha landed in the middle of a large forest.
"Can you see? Can you hear anything?" Inuyasha whispered in her ear.
"No, nothing." Kagome told him.
"Good, you hearing is better than usual."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Kagome answered.
Kagome followed Inuyasha deeper into the woods and soon they came to a clearing. Kagome opened her mouth to say something, but a hand covered it.
A family of rabbits.
Kagome met his eyes.
How cute!
Kagome crept a little closer. There are six of them.
You can see that far?
Yes. Kagome rolled her eyes.I do not know why, but I can actually see better than before.
A twig snapped, taking their attention away from the rabbits to the danger.
"Whose there?" Kagome stepped in front of Inuyasha, as if to shield him.
Inuyasha scowled at Kagome before pushing her back behind him and looking around the forest for any sign of threat, his body stiff and ready for action.
"You should have blindfolded her." A voice came out of nowhere.
"You are growing old in your years if you cannot be that quiet when creeping up on me." Inuyasha told the voice cheerfully, the stiffness left his body.
"Do not try to change the subject, my friend."
"Welcome back, Inuyasha, dear." A female's voice followed the first male voice. It was sweet and soft, like she was singing, instead she wasn't.
"You know we do not trust humans." The male voice boom.
"She is a…friend of mine," Inuyasha told them.
"Who are they, Inuyasha?"
"Step into the light, Your Highness, so that she may see who you guys are."
Kagome's eyes widened as she saw the two faces that came out of the darkness."Princess Aninoko and Prince Mamoru?"
Prince Mamoru frowned. "How does she know us, Inuyasha? We have never seen her before."
"She met you two in a vision of hers." Inuyasha leaned back against the tree behind him. "She thought you two were dead. I was just proving her wrong."
"In a vision?" Princess Aninoko slender figure floated towards her. She was actually walking, but to Kagome, she was floating, she held her head high and graceful and she walked as if she was actually the Empress herself.
"Oh…wow…you two are alive!" Kagome blinked, as if not believing it. "You two are alive! But I saw you two die, how can you two still be alive?"
"We are alive, thanks to your friend there," Prince Mamoru leaned his shoulder against the tree beside him and crossed his feet. "He was a good friend of ours and anyone who is a friend of his is a friend of us, but be warn, we do not like traitors among us."
"You helped them?" Kagome turned to Inuyasha. "Meaning you turned them into one of you…right?"
"Something to that effect." Inuyasha nodded. "She is not traitor. She works for me."
"What kind of work do you do?" Princess Aninoko walked around Kagome. "You are quite young and too soft to be doing any hard work."
"Do not underestimate her," Inuyasha grinned warmly at Aninoko. "She is quite strong. She was the one that killed Monsieur Valerian DuChuantae."
"That wicked vampire?" Princess Aninoko's brow shot up. "Ah, she is the legendary vampire hunter that we have heard so much about."
"Ooh…" Kagome didn't know whether to get on her knees and bow, or just stared at them, so she did what she thought was right, she bowed her head. "I am Kagome."
"Ah, yes, Kagome." Prince Mamoru stood up and walked towards her. "It is a pleasure at last, to meet your beautiful face." He took Kagome's hand and kissed her ring finger while his eyes held her spellbound.
Kagome blushed. "Um…yeah…" She didn't know whether she should pull her hand away or leave them there for him to devour because he was still holding it.
Inuyasha coughed behind them and Kagome pulled her hand away. "I would not do that if I were you." Inuyasha warned.
"Why?" Prince Mamoru laughed softly. "Jealous, my good friend?"
"No, it is just that you cannot read her mind no matter how hard you try."
"You were reading my mind!" Kagome glared at the Prince.
"Do not worry," He patted her hand. "Inuyasha was right. I could not breach that tough wall of yours. You taught her well, Inuyasha."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Inuyasha said mockingly with a bow.
"Darling, it is getting cold here. We should take them inside." Princess Aninoko touched her husband's arm.
"Yes, come. We shall hold a fest for our friend's return and his," he turned to give Kagome a quick kiss on both her cheeks," his beautiful woman."
"I belong to no one," Kagome muttered behind Prince Mamoru's back.
It was not a surprised that he heard her, "Ah, but soon you will."
"What does he mean by that?" Kagome turned to ask Inuyasha.
He shrugged his shoulders. Where he was warm minutes ago, he was now cold.
"Come, let me show you around," Prince Mamoru waited for Kagome to catch up to him. Then he held out his elbow and she tucked her arm under his. "You two shall follow suit." He commanded his wife and Inuyasha.
"Yes sire." Inuyasha said with amusement.
Kagome and the Prince disappeared around the corner.
"She does not appear to be afraid of Mamoru." Aninoko took Inuyasha's elbow and they followed slowly behind.
"No. She is not afraid of anything," Inuyasha thoughtfully answered. "Except flying."
"She seems…enchanted with him."
Inuyasha grinned at his good friend. "Jealous?"
"No," she returned the grin. "I am use to girls fawning all over him, but this one does not."
"She appears so."
Aninoko laughed softly. "You do not know a girl's heart."
"That is right," Inuyasha agreed. "She is only a girl, so she does not know her heart."
"You love her," Aninoko observed.
"Right again. I raised her, she is like my daughter."
"You do not have daughterly feelings towards her though," Aninoko smiled at him. "Do not tell me a girl has finally trapped you."
"No," Inuyasha glared at Aninoko. "I am destined to be alone. I cannot take a bride."
"Mamoru took a bride." Aninoko said thoughtfully.
"Mamoru is in love."
"And you are not?" Aninoko grinned. "Come, she is perfect for you. Sipped her blood, mix it with yours, and she is yours forever."
"That I cannot ask her to do."
"She is willing."
Inuyasha didn't answer. Of course he knew she was willing. She has been in love with him ever since she understood the differences between family love, and love, love.
"She understands you, Inuyasha. Many people cannot do that. I have known you this long and yet, I do not understand much about you. You are still mysterious to me in many ways." Aninoko admitted.
"That is what Aunt Chiemi says too."
"Then take our advice. How long till you destroy yourself? You cannot live alone forever. You start losing your sense of morals, you will go crazy if you live like that. A person cannot live like that."
"Sesshomaru wants her." Inuyasha stated.
"Sesshomaru? Your stepbrother is still alive?" Aninoko frowned. "I had thought he died years ago."
"No. He is a vampire now, almost a full fledge one too." Inuyasha told her. "He attacked us three years ago and bit Kagome. She has been in a deep sleep until two days ago."
"Has she changed?"
"No, not much, but she can see and hear much better."
"That is not bad, she will be okay." Aninoko nodded her head. "Is that why you have come to us for help?"
Inuyasha nodded. "I will be out, trying to find Sesshomaru before he can finish his recuperation. I attacked him and hit him hard enough that it will take years to heal, but I think he might as well be well. Nevertheless, I have to go and see if I can find him."
"And you want us to look out for the girl?"
Inuyasha nodded. "She is a bit stubborn at times, but I have hired some bodyguards. I just want you and Mamoru to try your best and hide her if trouble comes."
"You know we cannot endanger our kind, even if it is for a mere human."
"Yes, I know, but she could take care of herself. All I am asking is—"
"Say no more." Aninoko shook her head. "We will try our best to protect her until you come back. "
"Thank you, Your Highness."
"Nonsense," Aninoko grinned. "Now, how long will you be staying?"
"I am leaving tomorrow. Try to keep this quiet until after I am gone then let her know."
"Let me know what?" Kagome frowned.
"Quick girl. I did not even hear you approach." Aninoko complimented.
"Thank you." Kagome frowned. "Let me know what, Inuyasha?"
"It is none of your business, besides we were not talking about you."
"Oh," Kagome smiled. "Your Highness—"
"Please, Aninoko would be just fine."
"Aninoko," Kagome took out the necklace. "I got this, for you."
"My necklace!" Aninoko gasped. "Where in the world did you find it?"
"In the market." Kagome grinned.
"Wonderful! Now we can give this to my daughter."
"Daughter?" Kagome blinked.
"Yes. We have a daughter and two sons, one eight years old and the other fifteen."
"I did not know vampires could have—"
"They are not vampires, they are Vampils."
"Oh…I thought…I mean…"
"I did not bite them," Inuyasha told her. "I merely gave them my blood."
"But are you… I mean…they were almost dead and…"
"They were already Vampils."
"I thought you were the only Vampil on earth!" Kagome blurted out.
"Oh no," Aninoko shook her head. "He is the strongest, but there are a lot of vampires out there who sleep with mortal beings."
"Oh…"
"Yes," Prince Mamoru came up and put his arms around Aninoko. "We find them and take care of them, teach them."
"And Inuyasha?"
"Inuyasha found us, actually." Mamoru said. "But it is all good in the end. Come. The food is ready."
The conversation was forgotten as the food was brought out and the dancers dance. Kagome still could not believe that everyone living in the hidden forest were all Vampils. She had never met another Vampil besides Inuyasha. Speaking of Inuyasha, Kagome look around campfire area and found him nowhere.
"May I join you?"
"Of course," Kagome moved aside as Aninoko came to sit with her.
"If you are looking for Inuyasha, he is with my husband."
"Oh…how long have you two been married?" Kagome blurted out, then covered her mouth. "Uhh… never mind."
Aninoko chuckled. "We have been married for ninety years now."
"Wow…that long?"
"Pretty amazing is it not?"
"Yes." Kagome closed her mouth.
"You could ask me if you want." Aninoko grinned at her.
"Really?" Kagome nodded. "I wanted to know…um…do you still…love your husband?"
This time Aninoko laughed. "Yes, I still do. In fact, I love him so much that if he were to die, I would do the same."
"What about your kids?"
"They can survive on their own. They are no ordinary kids."
"Oh." Kagome turn to look at the fire burning in front of her.
"To tell you the truth, love is a strong thing. It only grows for us Vampils. When we love, we love forever and as the years go, so do our love, until we feel we cannot part from each other just for just one moment," Aninoko blushed. "Forgive me."
"No…no…that is wonderful," Kagome sigh. "To have a love like that."
"Yes," Aninoko look at her very closely. "It is."
"I wish I were to have a love like that."
"Do you?"
"Yes, I wish Inuyasha could love me like that." Kagome said before she could think. She covered her mouth.
"Do not worry, with so many noise, he would not hear you." Aninoko chuckled. "You think he does not love you?"
"He does, but only like a daughter."
"I do not think so," Aninoko said with amusement. "I doubt if he had any daughterly feelings towards you."
"But he has never acted…warm around me."
"Has he kissed you?"
Kagome nodded and blushed instead of saying yes.
"There you go." Aninoko nodded her head as if to confirm her answer. "In all my years of living, I have not known or heard of Inuyasha kissing any one. He is a very quiet and emotionless man, but his feelings go very deep and it takes a very long time to earn his trust, but you seem to do that in just your eighteen years of living. It took Mamoru and me at least a hundred years just to get him to open up. Even so, he has not open up all the way."
"A hundred years!" Kagome's eyes widened. "You are lying."
Aninoko shook her head.
"He only kissed me once."
"Do not be distraught. He will come around, and when the time comes, are you willing to be his partner? To live with him forever?"
"Yes," Kagome nodded her head. "I love him."
"I thought so." Aninoko seem pleased with Kagome's answer.
"Aninoko," Kagome asked. "Inuyasha said you went crazy after you found out that Mamoru died. Did you go crazy?"
"He did?" Aninoko's eyes flared. "What else did he say?"
"Nothing else, that is about it."
"No, I did not go crazy." Aninoko grinned. "Inuyasha was joking with you."
Kagome blinked. "Joking?"
"Yes. I never went crazy. I understood where I was every time I open my eyes in the morning."
"You mean he was joking with me?"
"Yes, why?"
"He did not even Inuyashand like he was joking!
"Well…that is him," Aninoko smiled. "I always told him he was a bad joker."
"So tell me what happened after you jumped off the window."
"You mean, you did not see?"
"No. Inuyasha told me to come back to him." Kagome frowned.
"Well, it is nothing drastic, to tell you the truth. I jumped off the window, faked my own death, and then went in search of Mamoru."
"He did not die too?"
"No, only that he left me because he thought I betray him." Aninoko frowned. "It is very stupid, really. After I had told him I love him and had given him my vow, he still thought I betray him."
Kagome laughed. "Really? Well, they are a stupid sex."
"When it comes to love." Aninoko agreed. "Well, I went after him and he did not believe me."
Kagome grinned. "Obviously."
"True, but I was mad so I took off."
"How did he find out the truth?"
"My ex-fiancé found him. He was going to kill Mamoru for revenge against me and he told Mamoru everything."
"Let me guess, he killed your ex-fiancé and came after you?"
"Yes," Aninoko's mind drifted off to those years. "However, I did not forgive him immediately."
"What did you do?"
"I led him quite on a chase and forced him to go through quite a few gentlemen in order to get through me."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, trouble found me, you could say."
"Ah."
"I managed to get myself accidentally sold to a vampire in an auction. He was a Vampire and he was stronger than me so I could not escape and Mamoru was quite mad when he found out."
"What did the vampire do to you?"
"He abused me. Not sexually, but physically beat me up when I refused to go to bed with him and I tried to escape, which caused me a good beating."
"I am terribly sorry." Kagome told her.
"That is alright. I can speak freely of it now without remembering much."
"I hope Mamoru killed him."
"He did," Aninoko told her. "But I ran in the midst of battle. That time, he abused me sexually. I was almost rape. I took off and a human found me. He tended my wounds and he fell in love with me, but he could not love me because I was not human so he tried to kill me instead."
"Mamoru followed you and saved you?"
"Yes, but by that time, I did not care anymore. I was all ready to die and I almost did, but I was rescued."
"What happened?"
"He stabbed me in the heart and I was in critical condition when Mamoru found me."
"Found you?"
Aninoko grinned. "I wanted to die in a forest where my body and Inuyashal could be surrounded by the animals who, I know, care for me. I crawled to a pond, and that was where Mamoru found me."
"What about the human who rescued you?"
"I do not know," Aninoko admit. "Mamoru would not tell me what happened to him. I asked a couple of times, but he only told me 'never mention that bastard again' so I just gave up."
"If you were in critically condition, how did you survive?"
"Inuyasha helped me." Aninoko told her. "We owe Inuyasha very much."
Kagome grinned. "At least it taught him a lesson."
"He never doubted me from then on." Aninoko frowned. "He also never left me out of his sight."
"So you wanted to talk to me?" Mamoru seated himself on the grass and lean back against the tree.
"Yeah, I already talked to your wife."
"I assume this is about the girl, Kagome."
"Correct."
"And your stepbrother, Sesshomaru?"
"Correct again."
"Tell me about it."
"I want you to look out for Kagome for me."
"While you are out looking for Sesshomaru?"
"You sire, are highly informed."
"I have my connections. I also know that he bit her and she slept for three years."
"You are spying on me?"
"I do not have to do that." Mamoru grinned. "Go on, I will look after the girl."
"She is my responsibility, but—"
"But you love her, I know." Mamoru grinned.
"As a daughter," Inuyasha sighed.
"Most definitely like a daughter," Mamoru laughed. "You are an extremely bad joker and liar when it comes to me, do you know that?"
Inuyasha shook his head. "I have to go, so I am trusting you to tell her about it."
"You cannot tell her?"
"I do not want to face her…anger."
"Coward."
"You were one too, when it came to Aninoko."
"Do not remind me."
"Thank you, Mamoru."
"You do not have to thank me, after all, if it was not for you, I would have lost Aninoko."
"It was the least I could do."
"I would have lost her."
"Not if it was not for your pride in the first place."
"Trust me, I regretted it. I should have listened to her in the first place."
"More like you should have trusted in her love."
"Damnit, Inuyasha. Do not remind me of how stupid I was back then."
Inuyasha grinned. "I agree you were really stupid. I do not have to remind you though."
"God," Mamoru rubbed his face. "It scares me every time I think about that bastard who stabbed her nearly to death."
Inuyasha yawned. "That is right, you never told me what you did to him."
"I never told Aninoko either." Mamoru said harshly. "I ripped his heart out."
"Ouch."
"Damn right, then I waited until he died. After that, I left him and went to look for Aninoko. I came back and nature had already taken its toll on him."
"Well, luckily you found her in time and brought her to me in time."
"I know, and I will never thank you enough. I will do everything in my power to protect your wife, my dear friend."
Inuyasha scowled. "She is not my wife."
"Soon-to-be." Mamoru grinned. "I am going to my wife now. Will you be going to your…lover?"
"No, and she is not my lover," Inuyasha glared at Mamoru. "Have fun."
"I will." He disappeared.
-------------------------------------------------------
End
Author's Note: er...nothing really! --;; lol