"Talking"
'Thinking'
Stressed
Kagome softly groaned as she rolled over in her futon. Blurred voices drifted into her ear as she covered her head. Footsteps echoed against the wooden floor as she squeezed her eyes tighter. Someone pushed the flap of her door away and she growled. She quickly threw up a barrier to keep them from waking her. A zap and yelp was heard from the intruder.
"Kagome!" Kouga said as he stood away from the barrier.
"Five more minutes mom!" Kagome whined and burrowed into her covers.
"I'm not your mom!" Kouga growled and then added, "What the hell's a minute?"
"Go away," Kagome whined as she dropped the barrier.
Kouga made sure it was safe before he ran over to her and shook her. Kagome growled and tightened her hold on the blankets. Kouga gave her a warning growl and her eyes snapped open. She stuck her tongue out at him before she rolled off the futon and against the wall. Kouga growled and ripped the blanket away from her. Kagome sat up and glared at him. He tensed before he put on his smirk.
"You're going to miss an important event," Kouga spoke before she could.
"What is it?" Kagome sighed as she scratched her head.
"We get to see Kamaitachi justice," Kouga dryly said.
"What happened?" Kagome asked with slight confusion. Her gaze turned to the window. Youkai ran past her hut yelling and shouting.
"A pretty big event if you ask me," Kouga mumbled.
"What is it?" Kagome asked again.
"Tachi's son committed an act against the family," Kouga answered.
"You mean he disowned his family." Kagome tired to clarify.
"I'm not sure but, apparently it's punishable by death," Kouga mumbled as he pushed his headband up.
Kagome quickly pushed Kouga out of her room and dressed in her Chihaya. She grabbed her beads and bow and left the hut. Shippo was already outside watching the riot of youkai with confusion. Kagome picked him up and tossed him to Kouga. The youkai were crowding around a hut that she assumed was Tachi's. Sickles were drawn and raised in the air as they chanted something. Kagome looked back to Kouga to see him holding Shippo by the tail. Shippo had his two sickles in his hands looking confused.
"Keep him out of trouble," Kagome firmly said as she ran off into the crowd.
"Runt, you better behave," Kouga warned as he glared at Shippo.
"Why? It's not my tail on the line," Shippo calmly said as he gave his own smirk.
Kagome pushed past a few weasels in order to get closer to the hut. Some of the were chanting in strange language and others in Japanese. She made a few chants out as 'betrayal', 'disgrace,' and 'punishment'. Kagome sighed as she approached the front of the crowd. Her pupils narrowed when she saw a young boy on the ground badly beaten. Her eyes then turned to Tachi who was watching with sorrow. One guard pulled the whip back and she pulled her beads out. She wasn't about to sit back and watch a child get beaten.
"Beads of red and white, block it now, listen and obey," Kagome chanted.
Silence fell over the crowd as the beads wrapped around the whip and stopped the descent. Kagome calmly stepped forward so the crowd could see that she was the one to stop the punishment. Her anger was pushing her on; the fact that these youkai could sit here and watch as child is beaten infuriated her. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her eyes were dark with promise. She didn't care what race or species you were; no one deserved that type of treatment. Whispers spread throughout the crowd and she glared at the ones she caught.
"What is the meaning of this?" Kagome calmly asked, her eyes showed all the anger she needed. She was a Miko; it wasn't right to give away your emotions.
"This thing is being punished for an unspeakable act," a guard spoke
"Thing? He is a boy not a thing, now what is this act?" Kagome demanded as she looked to Tachi.
"It—"
"I wasn't speaking to you!" Kagome snapped at the guard as she turned her gaze back to Tachi.
"The boy was going to bring a commoner in to the bloodline," Tachi softly whispered.
"So you're punishing him for falling in love?" Kagome questioned with shock.
"Those of my bloodline are strictly forbidden to take a mate not of royal bloodinto our line," Tachi clarified.
Kagome looked to the boy and then back to Tachi.
"You can't help who fall in love with," Kagome stated.
"He knew the rules and now has to answer for his crime, this is our law," Tachi firmly said.
Kagome went to glare at him but her eye's widened in realization. She couldn't see it because of the anger, but he was suffering. The pain behind those black eyes for some reason didn't surprise her. He was a leader being torn between his duties and son. Kagome could tell that he didn't want to lose his son, no father would. But what do you do when you know that many need you? It's like that saying; the needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few.
"What is his punishment?" Kagome whispered with dread.
"He is to be whipped and put to death," Tachi stoically answered.
Kagome looked to the boy and bit back the tears. This just proved that love was a curse. The boy looked up to her and he offered her a smile. His eyes were silver and his hair was a silky brown. The silver hair was matted to his back with blood. He continued to offer her the same happy smile.
"Don't cry for me, I made my choice. We all have a choice we make, and with that choice we must follow it," the boy whispered.
"Love shouldn't be punishable by death," Kagome softly said.
"My love isn't being punished, my crimes against the family line are," the boy clarified. "But I'm happy to know that I followed my heart."
"Does he have to die?" Kagome whispered.
"This is our society…our way," Tachi whispered with some regret.
Kagome nodded and released her beads. She stepped away from the guard and back into the crowd. This was something that she didn't want to watch. She closed her eyes and looked away, because she wasn't strong enough. It was hard to watch a ridiculous law be carried out. Kagome bit her lip as she heard a whimper from the boy. Finally, a low scream tore from his lips and she opened her eyes at the last second. The sickle gleamed in the sunlight and in a few seconds, it was coated in blood.
'…Our way,' Kagome thought.
The crowd cleared away and she stared at the body on the ground. Tachi leaned against the pole of his hut and buried his eyes in the palm of his hand. Kagome walked over to the body and looked to Tachi.
"They won't bury him," Tachi answered her unasked question.
Kagome kneeled next to the body and placed her hands on it. Her Miko ki flowed from her hands and instantly purified the body. It turned to ash and vanished into the wind and land. She whispered a prayer for his soul before looked back to Tachi.
"He was my only son," Tachi whispered.
"Then you should of spoke up," Kagome coldly replied. Tachi gave her a sharp look before he looked away.
"I can't change laws for my benefit," Tachi countered.
"You are leader, make a change and better yourselves like you strive to do," Kagome responded as she stared at the spot the boy's body had been. His blood was still on the ground.
"All youkai societies have that you must mate within the ranks, I can't change tradition," Tachi stressed.
"Stop making up excuses to justify yourself. We all are living, we breath the same air, drink the same water, and blood is blood no matter what your status is," Kagome calmly rationalized.
"Then if that's true, why didn't you stop it?" Tachi demanded.
"Because…I am not the leader here. I am a guest here to observe, I can't make your decisions for you," Kagome simply enlightened.
"You are a Miko…you could have saved him!" Tachi hissed.
"I can save the living, but part of living is accepting that there is death. I can heal, maybe even elude death, but I can't stop it for I am not a god."
"Still…"
"Still, you made a choice and followed it, but did you follow your heart?" Kagome questioned before she walked away.
Kagome had kept as calm as she could. She wanted to lash out at him and blame the boy's death on Tachi, but that wouldn't have been right. So, she offered him what she thought was best. Kagome sighed and watched as Shippo ran over to her and jumped into her arms. She caught him, but his weight pulled her down a bit. Her grip on him tightened as the tears threatened to spill. She could never do that to any of her friends, even if it were selfish she would change the rules.
"What happened Kagome?" Shippo asked.
"Life, Shippo, just life," Kagome suddenly whispered.
"He went through with it?" Kouga asked as he approached them. Kagome nodded and Kouga softly growled.
"Is true…do you have to marry within status?" Kagome asked Kouga.
"Yeah," Kouga gruffly answered.
"Then why did you always claim me as 'your woman'?" Kagome questioned as she released Shippo.
"Because, I'm the leader and can change the rules," Kouga cockily answered with a grin.
"I think it's because you follow your heart," Kagome whispered.
Kouga shrugged and offered her a comforting smile. He could tell this was really messing with her emotions, the emotions she didn't want the world to see. Shippo ran off to train leaving Kagome staring out at the sky. Kouga placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. Kagome smiled and continued to gaze at the sky.
"I'm going to go for a walk," Kagome whispered as she left the comfort of Kouga. Kouga watched her as she disappeared behind a corner.
Kagome reached the edged of the village where she first came in. Her eyes traveled over the farmland in silent observation. A soft crunching sound made it way to her ears. She didn't bother to turn around because she didn't want to see them. The soft sound of footsteps stopped beside her and she remained looking forward. A sigh that was not hers drifted into the air followed by a soft sob. Kagome tilted her head to the right and glanced at the person beside her. Kagome took note that it was the first female Kamaitachi that she had come this in contact with. She had seen the females, but not personally spoke to one.
"I want to thank you," the girl's soft voice whispered to the Miko.
Kagome turned her face to the girl. She appeared to be about fifteen, maybe a year older. She had snow like hair brightened the onyx colored eyes. Kagome noticed that the girl was a Kamaitachi, but not one from around here. Her skin was pale compared to the tans of the others, her hair was a snow like, and she was a bit more lithe. Kagome couldn't help but admire the girl's winter like beauty.
"I've never met you, why thank me?" Kagome questioned.
"Because…you were the first one to speak out for him," the girl clarified.
"Will you meet his fate?" Kagome bluntly asked.
"I will be joining Yasuo-sama soon enough," the girl softly sighed.
"What's your name?" Kagome asked. The girl looked surprised before she smiled.
"Endoh," she softly answered.
"Why don't you run…surely you wish to still live," Kagome spoke.
"I would never leave Yasuo. If I can't have in this life…then I will have him in the next," Endoh firmly spoke with a wistful smile.
"What makes you so loyal to him?" Kagome questioned as she gazed out into the field once more.
Endoh followed her gaze before answering, "I came from a Kamaitachi tribe in the north. They constantly fought between each other so much that they killed each other. I had wandered away from the death and found myself here. Tachi-sama took me in as a simple peasant. I was only twelve at the time I had met Yasuo. We became friends and did everything together. We would fish, cloud gaze, and admire the simple things in life."
"Your friendship grew," Kagome whispered knowingly.
"We weren't supposed to even be friends, but Tachi-sama silently approved. He was happy that Yasuo had found someone to confide in. We were both happy until he announced it. He told me that he leave his family name and we would run off together," Endoh explained as she sniffled. "I knew that wouldn't happen. I knew that life was cruel and the gods wouldn't allow it. I tried to tell him that it wouldn't work and that I was happy as a shadow in his life."
'Happy as a shadow,' Kagome thought.
"He said he wouldn't stand for it. He told me that if I couldn't be brought to his rank then he would lower himself to mine. I didn't think he was actually going to do it, I would rather have him alive without me, then dead," Endoh cried.
"Life is sad thing, as long as people think with a narrow minds, life will always be a tragedy," Kagome whispered to the girl.
"Yasuo said that he wanted to break traditions so even would have a chance to do better. He spoke of how everyone was the same," Endoh confided.
"He seemed like a good person. A wise person that really wanted things to be different," Kagome acknowledged.
They heard shouts once more and Endoh sadly sighed. Kagome rested a hand on the girl's head. Endoh gave her a nervous smile before turning to the oncoming crowd.
"I am happy to know that I will be with him," Endoh assured Kagome.
"I honestly think you should run, but I know that would dishonor you…but I also think that your brave. You're doing the one thing that I can't, you're accepting life no matter how painful it is," Kagome told the girl.
"For a Miko, you are full of pain…don't let it consume you. I've seen your smile, and it doesn't deserve to be worn falsely," Endoh told the Miko before the crowd came.
Kagome watched the girl leave with crowd. It was most likely that she would be put to death once within the crowd. Kagome found it amazing that the girl was willing to go to her death for her love. She respected the girl in some way, but in another view, she found the girl to be foolish. There had been times she would have died for Inuyasha; she had loved him that much.
'Love…it's not worth dying for. Life is to precious to be thrown away like that, but then what is life without love?' Kagome questioned.
Author's Note:
I just can't have happy moments for to long, I think it's because I type most of my chapters at night.
I'll update again...probably in a week or so.
Thanks to the reviewers!