WARNING: Kouga lovers beware…you will NOT like this chapter. There are reasons behind his actions, and they will be revealed in time (and strongly hinted at this chapter). Also, Kagome's thought processes are going to be highly irregular and erratic…for explanations see A/N at the end of the chapter!

Enchanted Orbs

Chapter 42 Without Will

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Kagome stood before the walls of the Eastern Citadel and waited for the army she could feel approaching. She really didn't feel up to a battle right now. There where too many things rumbling through her brain, and the miko doubted she had the concentration to complete the task before her.

Behind her, atop the wooden walls protecting the manner, were the soldiers of the east and west, Shouron, Inuyasha, and Kikyou. Kento and Kinzi stood beside the western general, but Kariudo stood on the ground only a few paces behind her. Shouron had insisted on this measure in case things went wrong. He didn't want Kagome unprotected, so Kariudo was assigned to her safety.

Kagome had protested at first, but now, with her thoughts reliving the past few hours, she was grateful for Shouron's protective nature.

Aside from the shock she felt at Dachi's explanations, she was further thrown off balance by the revealing of Nara, the woman who had 'given' Kagome her power. Only that thought was disproven in previously said shocking explanation…

Kagome shook her head. She was already starting to sound crazy. But things got worse from that point as Nara took Kagome by the hand and led her to a bench deeper in the garden sanctuary.

The miko had listened with dumbfounded silence as the eastern lady explained her origins and how everything since the two women had last met on the waterfront had been arranged by the lord and lady. Kagome now doubted her normally trusting nature. Had they been entirely truthful? Or were she and her friends being used as pawns in an entertaining game.

She sighed. Dachi and Nara had pure auras, well pure for youkai; there was no deceit laced into it. But that just meant they weren't habitually deceptive, which meant they might have been lying that one time…

Kagome grunted in frustration. They had to be telling the truth, had to be, because if they weren't, well…Kagome didn't know what to do. If they were telling the truth, then everything Sesshoumaru, the generals, and she had planned was still set as their plan. If not, she had no idea what her next course of actions would be or what she should do to combat the liars' plans. She'd be lost.

The miko shook herself out of her pseudo-pity party, and began thinking through everything she had been told. Again.

If everything which was relayed to her was truth, then Nara was not a youkai but a demigod. According to the lady, gods gain power through the worship of their followers, and, while they are stronger in the areas they are known and praised, they are not restricted to those lands.

In the story of Nara's creation, a foreign god had become intrigued with the powerful and graceful youkai of Japan and infatuated with Nara's mother. The relations between the god and the youkai did not last long, for gods frowned upon fraternizing with mortal beings…

Kagome laughed at this. It was the same thought youkai had towards humans turned back on them. It was strange to think of youkai as 'mortal beings' but they were not immortal, for anything which could be killed was not. And youkai could be killed…

But then again, so could gods. It usually took a great amount of magic and some sort of ritual invoking mortal blood, but it could be done. Just not easily…so weren't the gods mortal as well? Could anything be classified as immortal?

Kagome verbally growled at the tangents she was letting her thoughts take. This was not the time to debate the question of mortality. 'Back on track, Kagome! Think!'

Anyway, Nara's father had been a god so powerful that he could bend others to his will simply by inflicting his desires upon them. He had other powers as well, but this was the one most relevant to Nara because she had inherited something along those lines, an aspect of manipulating the will of others.

Upon hearing of her power, her father called her the Keeper of the Crossroads, but it was a somewhat hopeless power. Nara could she the crossroads to which those around her would come. Metaphorically not physically. The decisions everyone had to make on a daily basis. She knew when and where those trivial and critical events would happen.

Kagome thought this was a really scary power. She could change someone's decision simply by being there and slipping a mental note to their minds. Her father could do it from a distance, but he had no idea of what their choices were, nor did he care. It was his will they would bend to, but Nara, she could only shift their thoughts from one decision to another.

Nara had explained that at first, in her youth, she thought how great this skill was, and how much good she could do, protecting those around her with no violence offered. It was hard at first, learning how to sift through the trivial decisions and hone in on the major ones. But, eventually, all important decisions would resonate across her mind like a great bell ringing.

Everything went well; until one day, she realized her folly. She could see the decisions, but she did not know of the outcome of the choices. What seemed like the lesser evil choice between two power samurai…destroyed her life. Village after village was decimated. The screams of women and children trapped in their burning huts echoed across the land, and finally, her mother's home…gone. Her mother…brutally slaughtered.

But she couldn't do anything. The decision had already been made, only the actions remained…and she had spurred the decision.

Kagome found tears trailing down her cheeks as she remembered Nara's portrayal of her deepest emotional scar, laid bare before the miko.

And she felt shame. Shame for doubting the truth of Nara's words.

And then everything fell into place while in front of the lord and lady. Nara was one who could see the choices which set everything in motion, but could not see the results of those choices and thus would no longer touch the process. And Dachi, he could see the future but could not prevent it because he knew not what triggered the events.

Separate, they were all but powerless. Together they were…incredibly powerful.

Kagome laughed and shook her head again. Now she couldn't even think of a better description, she just used the same one twice in a sentence. Her teachers would love that. But her teachers were at home, and she was here.

She was here, standing before the huge gates of the Eastern Estate facing a hostile army of youkai who were about to break the tree line. A plain stretched out before her, but in the distance, she could see the forest and a multitude of movement behind the foliage.

It was time to think of the situation at hand, not of the past few hours. The situation at hand was simple. Kagome didn't wish harm on the enemy youkai. She felt enough guilt over those which were destroyed in the battle at Sesshoumaru's fortress.

And for reasons kept hidden from her, Dachi and Nara were adamant about harming as few of the enemy soldiers as possible. Because of this, Kagome had set up a barrier protecting the manner and all behind it.

The miko had deposited several of her landmines-the smallest size she had ever tried for: about half the length of her pinky- directly around the shield, and another in the middle of the plain, by itself.

The plan was to force a decision on the army. When they hit the first orb causing it to explode, wounding many, their fear might cause them to question whether to attack the palace or not. Nara would step in then. Kagome had thought the plan brilliant, but Nara had just given her a sad smile.

The youkai lady was convinced it would not work, and Kagome refused to listen to reason. The approaching youkai "had no will of their own" according to Nara, and no decision was allowed them. Kagome figured it was a question of honor.

A warrior pledged his loyalty to his master, and from that point on, no decision was allowed him…he followed his master's orders. 'But surely when faced with death, they'll rethink that oath.' Kagome thought to herself.

As the youkai began crossing the plain, she started to feel a pit in her stomach. An unexplained dread filled her, and she couldn't help but feel nervous. The army was a mix of all sorts of demons, lesser demons, judging from the variety of shapes and forms, and also humanoid demons.

It was weird seeing them all together; there was no order to it at all. The lesser youkai were neither in front as shock troops nor behind as a clean up crew. They were completely jumbled…and they were lifeless. Kagome concentrated on them.

Unrest began to settle permanently into her gut. There were no weapons raised in predicted victory, no war cries, no banners waving…they were all just walking across the plain as if they were not about to do battle, casually walking towards what could be their death.

This wasn't right, not right at all. But as soon as the thought made it across Kagome's mind, she found three familiar auras. They were almost to the first mine, the lone deterrent left in the middle of the plain for them to find.

"Kouga!" Kagome exclaimed as she finally recognized the aura, the other two had to be Ginta and Hakkaku.

The miko felt Kariudo tense behind her, but she paid him no mind. Immediately she released the mines she had made and watched them disappear into nothing. The army progressed ever forward, and Kagome made a hole in the barrier, racing to her wolf friend.

It never occurred to her that she might be in danger. The only thing she thought was of the lives she might save. If Kouga, prince of the wolves, was here fighting, it was because his master had earned his respect, loyalty, and friendship; the wolf was too stubborn for anything else. Which meant this could all be a misunderstanding.

If she could just contact Kouga's friend, maybe they could avoid more meaningless death. She raced toward the army dismissing the warning shouts from Inuyasha and Shouron atop the wall. Kagome just knew she could stop all of this, she never questioned what made her so positive.

She reached the army, and Kouga was on the frontline. Those around him continued on to the barrier. The hole Kagome had run through was now closed, and they began battering the shield, trying to burst through.

Kouga, however had stopped, those behind him either stopped so as not to hit him or stepped around him. There was no confusion from the army, no curiosity as to a miko of the east running up to an enemy.

But Kagome overlooked all of this. "Kouga! What are you doing here? Why are you attacking Lord Dachi?"

Kouga did not respond. His gaze never left the barrier that stood behind Kagome, but he did not move forward.

"Kouga, its me, Kagome, remember? What's wrong with you?" She put her hand on his shoulder to try to get his attention, and it worked. Eyes that were once the brightest, sparkling blue were now dull and lifeless and looking straight at her.

Kagome saw his arm pull back and his hand ball into a fist; she knew the blow was coming. She just didn't believe it. Time slowed down; it was as if she had all the time in the world to watch him strike her, but not enough time to dodge. Then she felt something wrap around her waist and yank her backwards as time resumed its normal pace.

The miko watched the youkai below her batter the shield as she drifted higher and higher into the air. The noise of swords and claws striking the barrier rang in her ears as she stopped gaining altitude.

"I suggest you make an opening in your shield below us, or we will slide into the midst of them, Lady Kagome." Kariudo's voice was calm despite the fact that he had probably just saved her life.

The miko looked down, and she realized that he had jumped backwards as well as up. If she opened the barrier she would land right where they had started, on the ground before the gates. She did as he suggested, and waited for him to cushion the fall with whatever ability youkai had enabling them to land so gracefully.

When she was on solid ground again and felt his arm leave her person, she couldn't help but watch as the expressionless, emotionless warriors attempted to defeat her barrier. She walked closer to the shield, seeing claw and sword swinging fruitlessly, and she realized the truth of Nara's words.

"They have no will of their own." Kagome repeated aloud.

"So it would seem." Kariudo spoke smoothly.

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Sesshoumaru all but raced towards Aishi; he could feel the general's presence around the next corner.

He had begun to make his way towards their destined meeting place after he was introduced to Darkness, but half way there he was struck by a thought, struck like lightning tearing through a tree in its course to the earth.

Darkness was headed to the east, the eastern lands where Kagome was. She was in danger. That was not acceptable. Fear lanced through his mind, sharp and painful.

Kagome was in danger; she could be hurt. And he was still in the fortress trying to regain his lands. His lands were not that important anymore, not if it meant losing her. When had this happened? He was baffled, but he could not argue with what he felt any longer. Aishi had made that point quite clear to him, and he couldn't argue because he had no basis to any argument against his words. Kagome was more important to him than his title, and he would do anything in his power to keep her safe.

So he ran. He ran to his general because he could not bear to stand idle and wait for Aishi to come to him.

Sesshoumaru rounded the corner only to see Aishi conversing with another guard. The taiyoukai revealed himself to both youkai before him. His first general's silver eyes widened in shock, but Sesshoumaru dismissed it as he strode to them.

"We must leave. I've met our magistrate; he knows of the diversion. Kagome's in danger." He spoke quickly, pressing the general.

Aishi's eyes slid to the soldier in front of him; the guard looked astonished. He had not had the chance to find out if he was trustworthy yet, but before he could decipher, the taiyoukai struck him down. The youkai was knocked unconscious, not dead but bleeding.

"It does not matter; Rokoshi knows we are here. We have no time. Come." Sesshoumaru made haste to the nearest exit.

They passed soldiers and guards coming and going through the hallways, but all they saw were two blurs, one silver and one green. The warriors of the west were shocked into silence as they recognized the power rolling off the intruder. It was their lord, and he was pissed.

Many abased themselves, kneeling on the floor, but the lord was already outside racing across the land to reach her, what would she be to him when he got there? He didn't know. He was still unwilling to subject himself to watching her slowly die before him. He knew he wasn't that strong, but he did know that he didn't want to survive her death when he could have prevented it. Forever is a long time to live tormented.

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A/N: ☼rolls eyes and sighs☼ I'm going to get my ass roasted for this chapter, I can just feel it. Oh well, here goes. I tried my damndest to keep Kouga out of this fic because I knew that this would be where his role would be, and I knew people would be pissed about it. BUT nnooooo! People kept asking for him, and asking about him, and explaining why it wasn't realistic that he wouldn't show up to claim Kagome. Grrr. Well, its your own damn fault, so don't complain to me about it. Not defensive at all…nope.

Kagome was very…scattered in this chapter, yes I know. Her thoughts were meant to be informative yet confusing. I mentioned in a previous chapter the last, I think that she had nothing to ground her anymore, nothing anchoring her. Well, what happens to a ship that doesn't have its anchor set? It drifts. That's what is happening here.