Part 6
A fire. She smelt smoke. She wandered through the thick, hazy air. The heat pressured in on her. Why was it so hot? The flames licked at her as she sped through the burning village. She had to find them. Sango. Rei. Shiru. Matsuru. Rin. They were all at the back of the village.
A building toppled in front of her. Men rushed through her village on horseback, holding balls of fire in their hands, some carried swords. Screams pierced the air. Blood mixed in with the smoke. So much happened around her. Before she knew, she was surrounded by the flames. She frantically looked for an escape, but she was surrounded.
The smoke burned her eyes as she still continued to search. She tried to call out for Matsuru, Rei, Sango, anyone who could help her. But, she only felt her mouth move as her voice was dead in her throat. Then, she had found one exit. It was a hut, not too badly burned. She pulled herself through the flames on the small, clear path.
The next thing she knew, she found herself in a small shack filled with vials and vials of colorful liquids. Were these what Matsuru had called "chemicals?" She jumped as a beam crashed on the table near her. The chemicals splashed at her. Her arm flew to her eyes as she cried out in silent pain, the burning sensation in her eyes were the ultimate.
Shecould not linger, yet she realized that, with her arm over her eyes, she couldn't see! She sank down to the floor and got on all fours and began to crawl. The image clear in her mind, she felt her way on the path that she had come in. It didn't take long for her to feel the heat of the fire at the doorway. Slowly, she stood.Instantly, smoke filled her nostrils and burned her lungs. She coughed violently. She had made it out of thedoorway, but she didn't not know if there was even a path to follow anymore.Then, she realized she could be blind! If those were chemicals then most definetlyshe would be blind. Or worse, she could be sick!
Her whole world was crashing around her. Burning, literally. She sank to her knees where she stood and curled into a ball.Tears flowed from her eyes. Her tears soothed the burning sensationto the point where she only felt the mental pain. She dared to open her eyes, just to see if she were really blinded.And, slowly, her eyes fluttered open. It was dark. She saw nothing. More tears flooded her eyes. But....was that light? She began to"focus" in closer to the growing light.
The small light had grown to the extent where she could see everything as clear as day....or even clearer. Whydid it seem brighter than usual? What was thisnew sensation that she had that she felt that she could see everything? Even the mostsmallest of insects from a mile away?
A strangled cough forced its way out of her. She was nearly gasping for fresh air. She was slowly slipping, she knew. She was going to be burned alive here. She realized that she only hoped that the rest of them escaped okay.
Another building collapsed asthe once bright light began to dim.Did shejust see someone jump over the flames? Who?
A horse landed near her lying form. The man on the horsescooped her up and looked into her fading vision. Was that a flash of gold? She wasn't sure anymore. She only felt her body rise in his arms as he climbed onto his horse, then....everythingwent dark....
X
Liquid. She felt liquid slide down her throat. Warm, pulsing liquid.Lightly soaked sheetscould be felt upon her skin. Her body felt as if she had been on fire and someone haddoused her with ice cold water. That feeling where you're burning up inside, but on the surface it was cool.
Her eyes fluttered open to golden orbs, slightly seeming to glow in the dark. Her vision was slightly blurred, so she could not make out of face too clearly. Sesshomaru....?
The wrist that had been over her mouth withdrew, and she closed her mouth swallowing the rest. She licked her dry lips, tasting the bitter-sweetness of blood. She was aware of the chilled towel on her forehead. What happened....? As if on cue, the memories rushed back to her. Her vision cleared, and she tensed a bit. Having your attacker by your bedside was not a comforting thought. Especially if his emotions were hidden as well as his intentions. Why was he here anyway? It's not like Sesshomaru.
She braced her arms under her, attempting to sit up, but she was still weak. Her arms gave out and she dropped back down. She expected that thump on the pillow and that aftermath, sickening dizziness, but it never came. She felt surprisingly gentle hands catch her and lay her back the rest of the way.
Slightly,sheturned her head to look at Sesshomaru, confused. He only looked at her with those same,cold eyes. Why did they feel so familiar?
X
He had been watching over her these past few days. He did not know why, but for some reason he was propelled to. That younger girl, Rin, was frequently coming to see Kagome and had set up her own makeshift bed by the fireplace. She was now fast asleep.
He looked down with his usual cold gaze at the tense form in the bed before him. Why was he here? Why was he compelled to do such a thing for someone he hardly even knew? She was only a part of the plan his father had created, and of course back-up actions could be taken if she passed, so then why? Why did he tend to her?
She had been suffering these past days. Tossing and turning. Her mouth opening to let silent screams out. She must really have been having a nightmare. It had been three days since he had clawed her, and he didn't really know what to do. He had done this to her and found that he felt "guilt." A feeling he hoped he would never experience in his lifetime again. He had learned to loathe these past few days.
Blood. Was that what she really needed? Matsuru had told them that it had been too long for any added blood to dilute the poison already, but....what if? What if there still was a chance? Father's plans would go much more smoothly if she were still here, Sesshomaru thought.
He slit his wrist by lightly dragging a claw upon his skin. The blood began to flow freely as he placed his wrist over her mouth and watched as drip after drip fell into her mouth, staining her lips red.
He couldn't help but notice her stir. For some reason, this felt all too familiar to him. Like, someplace off in a dream, he had seen this before. These same surreal features as the moonlight cast its rays majestically upon etheral skin. Like gazing upon an angel.
His wondering was broken as her eyes had fluttered open. He drew his wrist back slowly, his wound healing rather quickly. He had seen her confused expression as she looked at him.
She had made a move to sit up and he did not stop her. Her arms had bracingly been pulled under her, but he had noticed before hand that they would give out. Her elbows had been too shaky to be a decent brace. They had given out and she had flinched as if waiting for her head to hit the pillow, but he had caught her.
Her astonishment seemed to amuse him, though he did not know why. He lay her back down gently as her confused expression returned. Then, she turned away and began to stare up at the ceiling....
X
Her eyes wandered against the uneven texture of the ceiling. Her confusion was pushed aside as her dream repeated over and over in her head. Those eyes. Those golden eyes. The ones that had burned its way into her mind. She had vowed to herself that she would try to find that man who had saved her and dedicate her services to him.
They were the eyes of a man who had seen the world through ice. Cold, yet....calming. Her gaze wandered back to Sesshomaru and found that he still was looking at her. This time, though, she didn't feel uneasy at all. She felt soothed as she stared back at him with the same gaze.
She softly smiled, hoping he would drop his guard just a little, but, as expected, he didn't. Her smile grew a tiny bit more as a small giggle slipped through her lips. Too predictable.
He had raised a delicate eye-brow, curious on what she was smiling about. She only gazed into his eyes. Those cold, golden eyes. The shadow of the moon touched his face in the right light. It made him look like the mysterious demon lord that he was. Cold, yet....calming. The realization only took a moment to hit her.
Him?! He was the one?! But....how?! When did Sesshomaru give a damn about the "insignificant" life of another?! Her bewilderment etched into her face. He had not missed it, she knew.
Kagome quickly erased it and turned her expression to a calmed one again. She turned her eyes to the ceiling, this time only focusing on one spot.
After all these years, the man she was chasing was the man that she had hated all her life. After all these years. She scoffed, outright. She could not believe herself. She could not accept it, but....she had to. A vow is a vow as a life is a life. She owed this man her life. She owed this man her entire existence.
She had hoped night and day thatshe would find him, and lo and behold, she did. She found him in the eyes of her "enemy." She sighed. She would have to clean her slate. The past years of her life was to find her rescuer only to find her most hated man.
A smile played at her lips. The irony of it all. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and calmed herself. She had admitted defeat to it....all of it. She would now dedicate her life to this new adventure and it would start by....accepting her fate.
She really didn't want to give up that easy. She wanted to fight it, to forget the vow, but....she couldn't. Never. She had vowed on her mother's grave that she would do this. Her mother's grave. She would not dishonor it by backing out of a vow placed upon by someone none other than herself. In a way, it was an act of cowardice to retreat from a vow. It merely proved you were afraid to complete it. You didn't have the will to go through with it. No. She would not be defeated. Not by such simple words.....
Kagome looked back at him again. His eyes still rested upon her with such calmness, that she couldn't help but create some part of her that wanted to serve his cause. She pushed it aside, but knew it was still there.
If this was going to work both ways for her, she might as well tell him. "I had a dream about you last night," she whispered, her voice surprisingly steady. She saw his eyes widen, then narrow suspiciously. She only half-smiled and continued, "I dreamt that I was a princess waiting to be rescuedfrom the flames all so willing to turn me to ash. Then, when I had no hope, you rode in on yourgallant steed, and....giggle you rescued me. Can you believe it. You. Well, it was just a dream, wasn't it?"
At first, he was a why she was telling him this. Then, his eyes slightly widened in realization. It was her! I had rescued her! He could not believe it. He would not believe it, but the proof was right in front of him. The images conjured in his mind's eye as he remembered those cerulean blue eyes that seemed to hold a small fire of its own within. He remembered tending to her for a short period of time. How he had gazed on those same features, although, now, she was older.
To him, it felt like a dream from a long century's sleep. He had saved the one girl that caused so much trouble for him and his father. Killing off guards, stealing, threatening, and many other things.
Fury began to form, but, strangely,itdied away as her soft gaze penetratedit. A strange feeling filled him that he had never experienced. One that he had not labeled. It felt as if a small part of his cold front had chipped away. Like there was a hole in his wall. And, for some reason, he didn't hate it. But, neither did he welcome it. The wall was still in place and only a little could seep into his heart.
She had expected him to be angry, but she didn't expect it to die away so quickly. Her smile only grew wider. "I still wanna play, you know. My game, that is. I still wanna play. Whatever happens, though, you have to swear that Rin and the others won't get hurt. That is all I ask."
"....You have my word," he replied.
She only grew happier. There was no cold in his voice. There was no foreboding.It was not forced. The "Keep Out" signs had been cleared. His voice was only his voice. His true voice. Not a chill in sight. With a content smile, she drifted off to sleep. If she had stayed up a little longer, she would never have missed that light inkling of a smile that had played at his own lips.
X
The next day seemed like a dream come true to her. She had awakened to see that she was alone in the room.
Kagome first tested her elbow-bracing by slightly lifting herself from off the bed. When she was sure they would hold, she lifted herself up all the way. She felt as light as air, like she had been rejuvenated with a new sense of energy. Of course, after a fever like her's, the weakness that you had then felt as if it just disappeared in a second to leave you feeling refreshed.
She swung her legs over the bed and found that she was wearing a loose, white kimono that had been disheveled from her nightmare fits. She felt the cool morning air hit her bare shoulders and she shivered. Straightening her kimono and smoothing it out as much as possible, she stood, hoping that her legs would hold her.
Kagome shivered again as the cold marble contacted with her feet. She noticed that she had been moved to a room different from the one she had remembered from last night. This one was slightly more elegant. Not extravagant, but elegant, like a guest room.
A dresser was on the opposite wall of her bed, next to a looking mirror. The mirror was framed with the design of a phoenix and had a small desk-like effect. There was a small space underneath for a sitting-stool.
She noticed that a small fireplace was on the wall to the left of her bed. On the opposite wall of the fireplace was a door. Probably leading to the hallway. But, when she stepped back to look at the wall on the side of her bed, there were two other doors, one on either side of her bed. Her curiosity led her to the door on the left and found that it was a small closet. The other, she found to be, a mini-bathroom. Maybe this is a guest room after all.
Kagome walked over to the mirror and noticed that an assortment of make-up were placed upon it. Rouge. Lipstick. Eyeshadow. Wow, talk about the full lady-treatment. She turned to her dresser and started opening drawer after drawer. The first one on the top supplied her with clean underwear and bras. The second drawer held clean sheets of cloth as well as an assortment of casual kimonos. She was slightly embarrassed at the sheets of cloths, used for her...."time of the month."
The third drawer held an assortment of breeches and shirts. Probably Sango's handiwork. she thought. Sango knew her all to well. But, as she opened the last drawer on the bottom, her eyes widened. There, an assortment of kimono's in the main colors of the rainbow, with gracefully hand-stitched designs, met her gaze. But, the most of them all that she found eye catching was the black one.
She carefully lifted it out of the drawer and gently unfolded it. She held it out in front of her and looked at it. The design on the front was of a single Sakura tree, its petals dancing around in an invisible wind in the pitch darkness. It felt like water running through her hands. As she tried it on, it felt as if it was made for her. She tried simple fighting movements, but found that it did not restrict her at all. It was amazing. Maybe it was made for her.....
She scoffed at herself. Yeah. Right. She slid it off and folded it into the drawer once again. She pushed the drawer closed. Breeches or dresses....so many decisions. She decided on "dresses" and pulled out a plain kimono. A white one. It was a simple design of a flower, no more. She looked herself over in the mirror, and had a second thought. Today, she didn't know whatthey were going to do, so maybe, just in case....
She slid off the kimono as well as the plain white one. She slipped on a pair of breeches and a shirt that hugged her curves as much as possible, then she slipped the flower kimono back on. If they were going somewhere today, she would be prepared to wear comfortable clothes. She would want the free, extra movement.
After feeling that her shirt and breeches were concealed well enough, she opened the remaining door she had not yet ventured into. She found herself staring out into the hallway as she had predicted.Having no idea where to go, she just picked a direction. Eennie, Meennie, Miny, Mo.... A maid past through one of the turns in the hallway. Left it is.
Kagome closed her door silently behind her and walked to the left side of the hallway. When she reached the intersection, she went in the direction the maid went, and she was just in time to see her still walking down another straight hallway. Kagome sped up and caught the maid just in time. "Excuse me, but is it breakfast yet? I'm starving and I really don't know my way around the castle," she asked with a smile.
"Y-yes. B-breakfast is ready. O-oh, h-here. It's th-this way," the maid stuttered out. What is she so afraid of? She followed the maid reluctantly, mapping out the entire castle as she went.
In no time, after a series of twists and turns, she made it to the dining hall. The maid gently knocked on the door and a deep voice on the other side queued for the maid to enter. The huge double-doors swung open, also yawning from a long night's rest.
Kagome found herself looking into a grand hall with a table in its center that could have fed at least twenty people. Tall windows were on the opposite wall of the grand door she walked through, each letting many rays of the morning sunlight.
It was quite simple to spot Inutaisho, his sons, Miroku, and Matsuru considering that they were sitting on the far end of the table. She went to them, her footsteps not even making a sound as most would in the echos of this hall.
Surprisingly, as she neared the table, Inutaisho stood and slid her chair out for her, politely. She took her seat with a nod and Inutaisho returned to his own, at her left. Matsuru sat at her right, and, Sesshomaru just so happened to sit across from her, Inuyasha and Miroku at his left. No one bombarded her with "Are you okay?" or "Kagome, you shouldn't be out of bed!" and she was glad for that. She didn't want anybody worrying about her or ordering her around, she liked it just how it is. Peace and quiet. Until....
"Matsuru tellsme that you have a way with....dragons," Inutaisho said.
She had to stop herself from sighing in agitation. Why can't we all just be quiet for one minute! Just one! She settled for glaring at Matsuru for letting it slip so bluntly. He only smiled in return. "Oh, have you now," she answered cooly,hardly letting her agitation go.
He only smirked and answered, his voice hinting amusement, "It must be such a plague as to what we have planned for you, am I right?"
She squinted her eyes slightly, but released her agitation and anger as a throught hit her. She feigned a lady-like air as she sarcastically replied, "Frightfully, if I may say." Matsuru cleared his throat, as if to warn her about her tone. Sheignoredthis, and removed her fake mask, replaced by acontent smile.
"Well, I also have been informed that you can speak their language fluently. Correct?," Inutaisho continued, unfazed by her remark.
Kagome nodded in response. Her playful smile faded into suspicion. She didn't know where this was going, but if it involved her dragon ancestry, especially if her father were the fiercest, she didn't like it.
Inutaisho pressed on. "We have a favor to ask of you. It is not our....usual way of solving country problems, but, then again, it will affect you if you refuse to help."
Sesshomaru smirked as Kagome grew even more suspicious of the situation. For some reason he took pleasure in her uncomfortable atmosphere. She has no idea.
Kagome looked to Matsuru as if to ask 'What kind of favor? I know you know.' Matsuru just kept smiling that secretive smile. Her suspicions only increased. If Matsuru was enjoying the secret, she wasn't going to like it. A favor? This can't be good.