Chapter Six

The Search and Kagome's Broken Heart

Kagome arrived home around twelve thirty feeling very tired. It had been a long night and she was just thankful that Stepmother, Kikyo, and Kagura weren't home yet. She changed out of her torn clothing into her work clothes and set to work on sweeping by the fireplace. It was not long before she heard horses and voices outside the front door. Soon, Stepmother was walking in followed by her two daughters. They both had dreamy looks on their faces. Kagome greeted them and put down her broom.

"How was the ball?" she asked, pretending to sound interested. Kikyo sighed. "It was wonderful! I danced with a Prince!" Kagura snorted and replied, "Yeah, for about a minute until I danced with him!" Kikyo looked like she was getting ready to argue but Stepmother glared at them. "So, Kagome, how were things here?" she asked, suspicious. Kagome smiled sweetly.

"Oh, just fine. I've been sweeping most of the time and I even cleaned out all the ashes in the fireplace." She turned and continued her work as Stepmother hung her coat on the hanger. Kikyo and Kagura were giving each other very nasty looks and walked off into the kitchen. Kagome hummed to herself and swayed a little as she swept. Stepmother looked at her in an odd way but shrugged and went upstairs.

InuYasha sat in the now empty ball room holding the delicate glass slipper in his firm hand. He starred at it and tried to invent a plan. How could he find her? He couldn't even remember her name…what was it? She had told him in the market, he remembered, but that was about two weeks ago. He hadn't had a chance to ask her when they danced and sat down outside. But the slipper was incredibly small and wouldn't fit just any foot.

Jacques, the King's main servant, came striding into the room at that moment looking sad. "Wait till His Majesty finds out she's run away!" he was mumbling as he walked over to the Prince. "Oh, what will I do! What if he fires me! Oh I can't get fired, no not right now…"

"Jacques! Don't worry! I won't let Father fire you! You've been working for us since I was born!" InuYasha comforted. Jacques gave a weak yet unconvinced smile. InuYasha showed him the slipper and he suddenly became fascinated. He looked it over for at least five minutes before nodding.

"Yes…yes, I think we can use this to find her! We'll go to every single girl in the kingdom and let her try it on! If it fits, she's the one. This shoe is the smallest size I've ever seen!" He asked InuYasha if he could show the King and InuYasha nodded. He ran hurriedly out of the big room and down the hall to the King's room. He gulped and knocked three times. At first there was no reply, but then a loud, "Come in!"

Jacques entered the large bedroom that belonged to the King and shut the door behind him. "Ah, Jacques! What is it?" the King smiled, closing the book he had been reading. The servant took a deep breath and decided to get this over with.

"Your Highness, I'm afraid I have some bad news. That girl your son was dancing with, the one who you want him to marry, well she…she's gone. She ran away from him around midnight. We tried to stop her, really we did, but she was just too fast." The King sat there on his bed looking stunned. But then his stunned expression turned into one of rage.

"WHAT!" he shouted angrily, his face growing red. Jacques coward in fear for a moment before saying shakily, "B-But I have g-good news! Sh-She left behind a s-slipper! Here!" He held up the fragile slipper with trembling hands. The King got up from his bed and examined the little shoe. He took it from his servant and made a, "Hmmm," noise. Just then, his face broke into a wide grin.

"Perfect! We can use this to track her down! Was that your plan Jacques?"

"Y-Yes, sire," the man answered, sighing and wiping the sweat from his brow. The King started to jump around happily with the little slipper in his hands. "I want the search to begin tomorrow! At dawn tomorrow! Go, make the announcement!" He waved the man out of his room and shut the door.

At the crack of dawn the next morning the search began. The Prince would travel to each home and each woman inside would have to try the slipper on and see if it fit. So far, he and Jacques were having no luck. Every woman's foot had been too big. They had tried to squeeze it on but it wouldn't work. InuYasha was becoming bored. He knocked on the door of a small house and a woman with long brown hair answered it. She was wearing a green skirt with a pink top and had big, brown eyes.

InuYasha walked into her home when she invited him in. But when he caught sight of a man dressed in purple with a small ponytail in the back of his head he decided she couldn't have been the woman he had danced with. He bid them a good day and left.

"Jacques, I'm becoming frustrated," he mumbled to his servant as the carriage set out once more down the road. Jacques sighed and nodded.

"I know, but the King wants every single woman checked. We have to follow orders." InuYasha nodded as well and looked out the window. They were approaching a mansion on the outskirts of town…

Stepmother looked at the big clock in the front hall. "Girls, girls, be ready!" she called. "The Prince shall be here soon!" Kikyo and Kagura came rushing down the stairs dressed in their finest clothes. Kagome was still in her maid's clothing but since she had no other clothes it didn't really matter. She had the song from the ball stuck in her head and when she walked by Stepmother she started to hum it.

Stepmother gasped as Kagome walked off towards the kitchen. She frowned and suddenly understood. Kagome smiled as she prepared lunch. She was going to see the Prince! She was going to try on the slipper and know that it would fit! Oh, if only they would arrive…

"Kagome!" Stepmother called. "Why don't you go get ready in your room! We have to all look our best!" Kagome blinked and set down the cabbage she had been cutting. She walked out into the hall and looked at Stepmother.

"But I don't have any other clothes!" she said. Stepmother smiled. "Borrow some from Kikyo or Kagura! Just go get ready in your room!" Kagome was still confused but she nodded. Before she even reached the stairs, though, her stepsisters stopped her.

"No way is she wearing something of mine!" Kagura spat. Kikyo nodded in agreement. Stepmother gritted her teeth but still managed to smile.

"Girls, let Kagome go and change!" she snapped. Kagura looked startled but she moved aside and let Kagome pass. Kagome starred at her stepmother but shook out of her daze and walked up the flight of steps. Downstairs she could here Kikyo and Kagura complaining.

"But Mother, why…?"

"She's filthy…!"

"Silence!"

Kagome smiled to herself and opened Kagura's door. It as dark inside but she flicked on the light. She searched through Kagura's closet and found a faded red dress with long sleeves. She also discovered a pair of shiny black shoes, some dangling earrings, and a red flower choker. She was pleased when she opened the attic door and walked up to her room.

Back downstairs, Stepmother watched the clock tick and finally decided to put her plan into action. With an evil glint in her eye, she walked up the staircase to the hall. She slowly made her way to the attic door and slipped through. It took her a while to make it up the many steps but when she came to the last one she grinned mischievously. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a big brass key.

Kagome was still humming to herself as she brushed out her long, beautiful hair. She had already changed and was just about ready. She looked herself over in the mirror and suddenly frowned. In her mirror, she could just see Stepmother approaching her door. In her hand was a key!

Kagome gasped and looked over her shoulder. She jumped up and ran over to the door but it was too late. Stepmother had already shut it tight and Kagome heard a click.

"NO!" she cried, slamming her fist into the door repeatedly. "No! No! No! Stepmother, please!" But she cold hear footsteps rushing down the stairs and then the attic door slammed. Kagome's lower lip trembled slightly and she sank to the floor, her hand on the doorknob.

"No…" she whispered, before starting to cry.